The Chronicles of Calormen: The Lady With Crystal Eyes
by Britannica-Graced
Summary: If you saw a person in a desperate situation, would you help them? Edmund Pevensie does, and he ends up as a slave for it. Stuck in Calormen where no one knows his true identity, Edmund must rely on perseverance and faith in Aslan to help him get back home to his siblings once more. Original story published here in 2009 under the penname Aslan's Breath.
1. Chapter 1

"The Lady With Crystal Eyes," holds a very nostalgic place in my heart. Written quite a few years ago now, and originally published here on FanFiction under the pen name Aslan's Breath, the whopping 43,064-word tale was the first novel-length story I had ever written, with the most complex plot I had written to date. As I pulled out this tale several weeks ago and dusted it off in order to rewrite and adapt it to my own world, I remembered how much I loved "Crystal Eyes," its exotic setting and colorful cast of characters. Now, I am publishing "Lady With the Crystal Eyes" here so this story can be experienced once again through the eyes of a new generation of readers. It might not be as polished as my newer fics, but I hope some people will still enjoy it. :)

And as always, feel free to comment with your thoughts and opinions! I thrive on reader feedback! I am also trying to rewrite this story, so any reader suggestions on how to make this story better would be greatly appreciated and considered!

 **Chapter One:**

 **In The Market**

King Edmund the Just had always suggested that a trip to Calormen to discuss the issue of slavery would undoubtedly be a good idea. But as time progressed and Edmund began to learn more and more about the customs and laws of Calormen, the idea of discussing anything with the ruler of Calormen, the Tisroc, seemed highly impossible.

As the years went on, however, Susan became old enough to court. Susan had many lovers (she was, after all, the fairer of the two queens) but she had so far not been engaged. One of Susan's latest lovers was a Calormen Tarkaan. A few days ago, the Kings and Queens had been sent an invitation to meet the Tarkaan in Tashbaan. Peter had been the one to accept the invitation, but he then was forced to settle some troublesome giants in the Northern Mountains. Of course, the Queens could not travel alone, so the two queens were placed under Edmund's care and protection, which was why Edmund found himself in a private room in a spacious palace on the east side of Tashbaan with a monkey clinging to a column above his head. Across from him sat Susan and Lucy, who were whispering and giggling quietly. Edmund, however, grew rather annoyed at being left out of the conversation.

"I'd like to know what you two are talking about," Edmund called to his sisters over the pages of the Calormene law book he was reading.

"Su's telling me about the ball she went to last night," Lucy replied. She sounded rather bored and uninterested. Edmund knew that Lucy wanted no part in the conversation. Edmund was very glad that his little sister did not fall for the handsome face of a man as readily as Susan did. Like Edmund and Peter handled the princesses who came to Cair Paravel seeking their hands in marriage, Lucy waited to find out what was behind a handsome face before she passed judgement as to whether a man was a suitable partner or not.

"Was it enjoyable, Su?" Edmund asked Susan as he returned to the pages of his book. He didn't genuinely want to know, but Edmund had learned that sounding at least remotely interested in what Susan was saying would keep her happy.

"Oh, yes it was! You should have seen it, Edmund! There were lots of handsome young men and loads of pretty Calormene girls…" After listening to his sister's chatter for a full minute, Edmund decided that he had enough for the moment, and so he abruptly stood up and said as he bowed to his sisters in a most polite fashion,

"I am sorry to halt your lovely story, dear sister, but I fear that business calls me to the marketplace."

Susan smiled and arched an eyebrow, knowing her brother's true intention for going to the market. "Since when did you start going to the market, Ed?"

Edmund smiled cheekily and returned, "I could use the fresh air."

Susan rolled her eyes as Edmund quickly left the room. She then turned to Lucy and said softly with a giggle,

"I knew that this conversation of ours would make Ed flee the room." Edmund smiled as he quietly shut the door behind him. He was quite sure he wasn't supposed to have heard what Susan had just said.

Outside, the air smelled of citrus and spices. Edmund took a deep breath and walked out of the front gate of this Tarkaan's palace. He needed to get away for a while.

The only problem about living in Tashbaan is that when one steps out of one's courtyard, they are immediately bombarded with noise and crowds of people. It took Edmund about ten minutes to get to the center of Tashbaan, where, to his dismay, he found that it was market day. The crowds were so tight that it was a wonder that people could move. The crowds worsened considerably every time a litter passed through the crowded streets, because many of the commoners (Edmund included) were pushed back against the walls of buildings to make way. If they did not, they either got butted with the end of a spear, or got a crack from a whip. Edmund had finally had enough of this crowd, and he was about to try to make his way back to the Tarkaan's palace and back to his sisters, but something caught his eye. It was the most beautiful thing that Edmund had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

 **The Beautiful Lady**

To Edmund, all time stood still. He didn't feel the heat of the day, didn't hear the voices in the crowd around him. To him, he and what he saw were the only two things in the whole world at that moment.

What Edmund saw was a lady. She was beautiful. Her straight raven black hair hung in her face so that her face was partly veiled. When the lady noticed that Edmund was starring at her and looked up at him to see what he was doing, Edmund nearly melted. She was starring directly at him with her beautiful eyes. They were grey in color, but when light hit her eyes at the right angle, they shone like crystal. Her skin, though it was rather tanned now, was a pale ivory like Edmund's.

What Edmund didn't notice was that the lady was straining with all her might at ropes that were tied around her wrists and ankles. Edmund also didn't notice that the lady was surrounded by others who had frightened looks on their faces and were doing the same thing that the beautiful lady was doing now. Of course, Edmund did not notice these things, and so he crossed the street and within a few minutes he was standing before the lady, trying to make conversation. ?

"Hello," Edmund began. He was puzzled as to why the lady briefly cast a glare at him before looking back down at the ground.

Edmund then realized for the first time that the lady was bound. He was about to question the lady as to why she was bound, but a voice interrupted him,

"Trying to make conversation with a slave, eh? Don't waste your time, lad. She's a feisty one, she is. Stubborn as well."

Edmund turned in the direction of the voice. Edmund's stomach did a turn when he recognized the man standing before him to be a Calormene slave trader.

"Do you realize how vile this traffic in human flesh is?"

"Vile? It's business, lad. We traders need to make a living too," The slave trader took in Edmund's tunic that was decorated with fancy embroidery before adding, "But by the looks of you, you don't seem to realize that."

Edmund turned red. "I know what it is like to work for a living, sir," He replied curtly. He glanced back down and saw that the lady was looking up at him with interest.

"Oh really?" The slave trader returned, his voice sounding angry. "Where do ye come from? And who are ye to back talk to me like that? Have ye learned manners at all, ye wag scallion?"

The man looked like he was about to hit Edmund across the face, so Edmund said quickly, "I am from Narnia, sir. I apologize if I have offended you,"

"Offended me? Oh, you've done more than offend me, lad." The man still held an angry tone to his voice, and before Edmund could ready himself, the man pulled out a curved scimitar. One glance at the man told Edmund that the slave trader's mind was set on capturing him.

Edmund grabbed the hilt of his sword and yanked the sword out of its sheath.

"Before we duel, sir; I think a wager is in order," Edmund said as he gallantly pointed his sword in the man's direction.

"And what wager is that, lad?" The man asked with a smirk.

"If I win this duel, I get the lady. If you win, you set her free and take me in her stead," Edmund replied.

"Deal, lad," The slave trader replied.

The duel began. The slave traded swung his scimitar at Edmund's throat, but Edmund bent backwards and hit the man's sword away from his throat. Edmund hit the man's sword again, and for a moment it looked like Edmund was about to hit the man's sword out of his hand, but before Edmund could strike at the man's sword a third time, the man grabbed a buckler (a type of circular shield) and swung his shield arm at Edmund. Edmund ducked, but it only made things worse.

The man's shield hit Edmund in the head…

 _Hard._

Edmund reeled back and fell to the ground, letting go of his sword as he did so. The slave trader seized Edmund's sword and held the tip of the blade at Edmund's throat.

Edmund, still heavily breathing, held up his hands in surrender,

"You win, my good man."

The man smiled cruelly and grabbed Edmund by his tunic. Two other strong men tied Edmund's hands behind him and tied his ankles together. Laughing maniacally, the slave trader and his henchmen dropped Edmund on the straw beside the lady that had involuntarily started all this commotion.

Edmund waited for the men to grab the lady and set her free, but they didn't. As the slave trader was turning to walk away,

"Hey! You! Are you going to set this lady free?" The slave trader turned around and laughed.

"I had my fingers crossed. No deal."

"So you gain me for profit and betray a promise?!" Edmund said, horrified. He, being a just person, would not have even thought of betraying a promise, no matter who he made it to.

"That's the gist of it," the man replied. He then turned on his heel and walked away, ignoring Edmund's angry screams and threats.

"You're wasting your breath," the lady interrupted Edmund's angry rant.

Edmund instantly stopped screaming and turned his head around to look at her. She had a tired expression on her face.

"What kind of a man betrays a promise, lady?" Edmund asked.

"A slave trader," The lady replied bitterly, burying her head in her arms, which were folded around her knees. Edmund fell silent.

After a moment of silence, Edmund asked the lady,

"What's your name, and how old are you?"

"Crystalline. And I'm seventeen. You?" The lady, Crystalline, replied, looking up at Edmund.

"My name's Edmund and I am eighteen."

Crystalline nodded and studied the crowd walking to and fro in front of them. She suddenly froze with a terrified expression on her face.

"What is it?" Edmund asked Crystalline, scanning the crowd to see what she was looking at.

"See that man across the street with the slave trader?" Crystalline asked Edmund as she gestured toward the two men; who were talking to one another.

"Now that you mention it, yes," Edmund replied.

"It looks like that man is set on buying us," Crystalline replied grimly.

"How do you know?" Edmund asked.

"For one thing; the man pointed to both of us. I guess he was asking the slave trader what price he set for us. It looks like they're arguing; the man's probably haggling with the slave trader. The man will probably pay in a moment—oh!"

Edmund didn't have to ask Crystalline why she had said "oh." He had also seen the leather purse that the man handed the slave trader. Then the slave trader gestured to his henchmen, who walked toward Crystalline and Edmund.

The instant one took hold of Crystalline, Crystalline put up a fight. Unfortunately, the henchman seemed to have been expecting this, because he kept a firm grip on Crystalline as he carried her, still screaming, to the man who had bought her. Edmund looked on in silence, a mixture of anger and horror coursing through him. Edmund didn't have time to think though; because he was next.


	3. Chapter 3

All comments and critiques are greatly appreciated! :)

Even though the story is already complete, I am not going to post it up all at once; I'll be posting two chapters a week. I hope those of you who have made it this far, will continue to take this adventure with me.

* * *

 **Chapter Three:**

 **A New Life**

Edmund had his head in his lap the whole journey to his new "home." They had been loaded into a wooden wagon and now he and Crystalline were waiting until they arrived at wherever they were heading to.

"Don't be like that. I've found that a depressed attitude always makes things worse," Crystalline said softly. Edmund looked up and saw that Crystalline's eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"Are you alright?" Edmund asked, trying to be as polite as possible under the circumstance.

Crystalline sighed. "As alright as I'll ever be, I suppose."

Edmund nodded. The two were silent for a moment. The man who had bought them broke the silence by saying,

"Ah! Here we are!"

Edmund and Crystalline cast one glance at one another and turned to catch a glimpse of a plantation in the distance. Crystalline drew a deep breath.

"Let the adventure begin," she said sarcastically as she turned back around. Edmund, who hadn't been through the horrors that Crystalline had, couldn't understand why she was acting this way.

"What's so bad about a plantation?" Edmund asked.

"Well—" Crystalline began, but she was interrupted by the sudden jerk of the wagon coming to a halt. Then the man who had bought Edmund and Crystalline stopped the cart and got out.

Edmund carefully observed how Crystalline looked at the bottom of the wagon and tried not to make eye contact with the man as he went round the to the back of the wagon and opened the back door (it was a covered wagon, you see). The man took Crystalline out of the wagon and untied her. When he saw that she just stood there, looking at the ground, he looked satisfied.

"Ah. She's been trained well." He said, grimly and flatly. He then looked up at Edmund, who poorly tried to avert the glare that he had cast at the man. The man glared back with stern eyes. Edmund gathered that this man was not someone to be messed with.

The man began to roughly drag Edmund toward him. Edmund was annoyed with this, seeing that he was perfectly healthy and capable of getting out of a wagon himself. Partly in an attempt to escape, and partly out of annoyance, Edmund hurled himself toward the back of the wagon. As Edmund had hoped, his slippery velvet tunic slipped out of the man's grasp. Edmund smiled and began flopping toward the back of the wagon. This isn't an easy feat when your ankles and wrists are tied, but Edmund managed.

The man became angry at this, and jumping into the wagon, he picked Edmund up in his arms. Edmund began squirming and kicking, but it was all in vain. The man held Edmund tight. When the man had jumped out of the back of the wagon, Edmund still in his arms, Edmund redoubled his efforts to break free of the man's grasp. This only resulted in the man's suddenly dropping Edmund to the hard dusty ground and picking him up again by his tunic. As Edmund bravely glared into the man's bloodshot eyes, the man hissed at Edmund through his white teeth,

"If you don't want to be whipped and clapped in irons, I suggest you obey." The man then lowered Edmund to the ground and took out of its scabbard a small knife and cut Edmund's bonds. As soon as Edmund was free, his first thought was to make a dash for freedom, but the look of anger and authority in the man's eyes immediately ruled against it.

"Now," the master (for that is the way that Crystalline and Edmund will address him throughout this story) barked. He then grabbed Edmund and Crystalline's shoulders in a death grip and, pushing them before him, led them to the slave's quarters. Edmund looked back in the direction of Tashbaan, which was miles out of sight. A wave of depression and sadness rolled over him. How would he get back to his sisters _now?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

 **The First Day**

Edmund didn't sleep well that night. Maybe it was the straw filled sackcloth mattress that he slept on without a blanket. Maybe it was because the other slaves in the quarters (which was a fancy word for a small cabin with one window filled to maximum capacity with people) snoring. Whatever was the cause, Edmund was awake for a good part of the night, silently letting tears run down his cheeks. He finally fell asleep an hour before dawn, which was when the slaves were supposed to wake up. So this was probably the reason why a blonde haired lad was having trouble shaking Edmund awake.

"Come along, wake up!" Edmund heard a gentle voice. It sounded like Peter's.

"Pete?" Edmund asked half-consciously, sitting up as he did so.

"No. 'Name's James," The young man—presumably James—replied.

" _Who…?_ " Edmund asked, sitting up, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"You don't know where you are, do you?" James asked, smiling.

"Not really…" Edmund's voice trailed off as realization hit him. "…I'm on a Calormen plantation, right?"

James nodded. "The worst Calormene plantation for miles. We'd better get outside and go the house to see what the work load for the day'll be before the overseers come and se we're still here."

James then helped Edmund to his feet and looked him over.

"We'll first get you into some suitable clothes, lad."

He then bustled Edmund outside. Amongst a couple dozen others,

Edmund squinted to try to see James through the darkness. The sun hadn't begun to rise yet, and the sky had just been painted pink by the light of the still-distant rising sun. Edmund caught James' glance.

"What is it?" James asked with a questioning look in his green eyes.

"You look like my older brother," Edmund replied, hanging his head. He soon felt the weight of James' hand on his shoulder. Edmund looked up. James was casting a sympathetic smile in Edmund's direction. Edmund had been right. Save the green eyes and hair down to his shoulders, James looked like Peter.

"I had an elder brother once," James mused as the two fell behind the rest. "I was separated from him when I was captured and brought here."

It was Edmund's turn to give the sympathetic look. Edmund clapped James on the back.

"Be strong, brother."

James chuckled. "We'll be strong together."

The two made their way to into the Tarkaan's house to see what the work day was. Little did they know that Crystalline was following behind, watching.

"Oh no. Field work _again?_ " James groaned.

"How bad can it be?" Edmund asked.

James was showing Edmund and Crystalline the work board in the kitchens of the Tarkaan's house. Edmund and James were the only two slaves who could read; however.

"It's the worst, Edmund. You're constantly being watched, and if you slack off the smallest bit, you're in big trouble," James replied.

"What do I have to do?" Crystalline asked, annoyed. She hated having to ask what was written that she had to do.

Edmund glanced at the work board. "Um… helping in the kitchen."

Crystalline nodded. "Thanks."

Edmund cast her a sympathetic look and smiled, looking her directly in the eyes. "You're quite welcome."

Crystalline froze for a moment. Edmund's look had somehow touched her heart. She felt…warmer. She had seen this look before, but coming from Edmund it seemed more… sincere. Caring. Gentle. But the feeling that coursed through her… well, Crystalline had never felt this feeling before.

Crystalline, realizing that she had been starring at Edmund with a sweet smile on her face, shook herself and scuttled off to the kitchen with a few others. Crystalline hugged herself. She had to be careful around this young man.

Edmund stopped hoeing to catch his breath. Wiping his sweaty brow, he scanned the fields.

The plantation was made up of about forty acres. Half of it was farmland and citrus orchards, while the other twenty acres was thickly wooded, perfect for hunting. Toward the northern edge of the plantation, there stood the limestone palace of the Tarkaan. Dotted about it were a number of guesthouses for slaves, while the closest guesthouse to the fields was the slave's quarters. Even so, it took ten minutes for someone to get to the fields.

Edmund looked across at James, who was working in the row next to Edmund. Edmund watched sadly as James paused for a moment to let out a wheezing cough.

"Are you alright?" Edmund asked, concern hitting his voice.

"Allergies. The air of Calormen doesn't agree with me," James replied with a smile and another cough before he raised his hoe above his head once more, bringing it to the ground with a plinking noise. Edmund knew that it wasn't allergies. Having been trained in medicine, Edmund guessed that James was ill.

"Edmund!" James' urgent whisper tore Edmund from his thoughts. Edmund turned around and saw an overseer coming at him, a long, sinewy whip in his hand. He didn't look happy.

Edmund whirled around and dug his hoe into the bare earth. He was unnerved but relieved at the grunt that sounded behind him as the overseer walked away. Edmund glanced back at James, who breathed a sigh and cast Edmund a look that seemed to say, "that was a close one; but get to work before you _really_ get in trouble."

Edmund sighed and broke up some more Earth. He wondered if his siblings missed him as much as he missed them. He wondered if they were looking for him right now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

 **Dashed Hopes**

Edmund was barely able to trudge back to the slave's quarters that evening. The others thought that their work day was relatively light; but Edmund begged to differ. His shoulders and arms ached, and his back was sore. The overseers had caught him slacking off more than once, and now Edmund was paying the price for it. James seemed to be the only one to notice Edmund's misery.

"You alright?" James asked as Edmund sat down on his bunk.

"Not really," Edmund replied as he swung his bare feet onto his hard bed. He made a hissing sound. The stripes on his back were burning.

"You should be a bit more gentle with yourself, Edmund," James began in a lecturing tone. "All we need is for cuts to start reopening."

Edmund looked up at James, who was hanging over the edge of the bunk above Edmund, looking down at him.

"Thanks," Edmund replied sarcastically as he rested his head on his pillow.

James smiled sympathetically down at Edmund, though he didn't see it.

A few moments later, the door to the slave quarters opened again. Edmund and James looked up. They saw Crystalline coming in with the other kitchen girls.

"How'd your day go?" Edmund asked as he rested is head back down on his pillow.

"Fine," Crystalline replied shortly.

"Just fine?" James teased. He stopped smiling when Crystalline shot him a furious glare.

"What's her problem?" James asked Edmund in a low tone as Crystalline stalked to her bunk and plopped herself down in it, her arms tightly crossed.

"She's probably had a taxing day," Edmund replied.

Crystalline, in the bunk directly next to Edmund's, instantly stood up and hissed furiously,

"I did not have a taxing day! I am perfectly fine!"

Edmund looked up at Crystalline. His brown eyes were calm and collected, and so was his voice,

"Then why are you carrying on like this, Crystalline?"

Crystalline didn't know why Edmund's words hit her like a brick. The flame of her rage was instantly extinguished, and the fire went out of her eyes.

"So what's the matter?" Edmund asked when he saw Crystalline's change in features.

"I had a bad day, that's all."

"Really? _Just_ a bad day?" Edmund propped himself up on his elbow and cast Crystalline a disbelieving glance, raising a dark eyebrow.

"Yes," Crystalline said, her eyes darkening as she glared at Edmund. Why did she always feel this strange way when Edmund looked at her? She felt like she was… melting.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Edmund asked.

"No."

"Alright," Edmund replied with an air of finality as he lay back down again.

The slave quarters was mostly silent after that. The slaves were grouping together and quietly speaking with one another. Crystalline's mind, however, was a raging torrent of thoughts as she wondered about Edmund, who was lying quietly in the bunk across from her. She wondered where he had come from.

Being able to take it no longer, she finally leaned toward Edmund,

"Edmund! Are you awake?" She whispered.

"You wan't to tell me, don't you?" Edmund whispered back.

"Well, no."

"Then what did you want to say?"

"I wanted to ask you a question."

"Fire ahead, then."

"Where are you from?"

Edmund bit his lip, wondering how to respond. He figured he was still in Calormene and for now, until he had built trust in other slaves, including this slave girl, he had to use the same answer as he did with the slave trader.

 _And look where that got you..._ Edmund thought to himself, yet he kept his answer the same.

"Narnia."

Crystalline's eyes grew wide.

"Narnia! You mean the country under the Rule of High King Peter and High Queen Susan and Queen Lucy and- and... King Edmund...?"

Edmund nodded and felt a bit uneasy wondering if she was making any connection between him as a slave and him as a King.

"Yes, it's a lovely little country. Have you been there?"

Crystalline nodded "Yes, in fact I was born there. I lived there until I was about ten." She paused a moment then spoke again, "Have you… have you ever met King Edmund?"

Edmund's heart began to beat a bit faster. This was a question he was not prepared for. Crystalline's eyes were gazing at him in curiosity and he knew he had to respond quickly. He had learned how to do this in the years that he had been in court when he was judge over most quick witted cases. He needed to respond with a question.

"Why King Edmund?"

Crystalline shrugged, "I don't know… but isn't his title King Edmund the Just? He's the one who is in charge of justice and… and freedom!" Her voice became hopeful.

"If he gets the chance, he can set us _free!_ "

Edmund wanted to smile at this lady's innocent assumptions that he could just snap his fingers and they would be free. If he could do that then he would have done it a long time ago, even before he was captured. He gave her a sad smile and said as nicely as he could,

"It isn't that easy."

"What!?" There was a slight tone of anger in her voice.

"I have read Calormene laws before concerning slavery. It doesn't matter whether he is a King of Narnia or not. We are this Tarkaan's property. Unless by some miracle we are set free by the Tarkaan, we shall be someone else's property until we die. King Edmund can't do a thing about it," Edmund scoffed. "It isn't even his country!"

Edmund could almost see the anger bottling inside of Crystalline and she shouted out a harsh whisper, "But he is King Edmund the Just of Narnia that never backs down from an unjust situation! He never rests until injustice is wiped of Narnia! He-"

"He what!?" Edmund was shocked as how noble she made him sound, even though he knew he deserved none of what Crystalline had just said. But for some reason to him she sounded almost challenging like she was daring him to be that reckless and impossibly noble.

Crystalline could sense the anger that was beginning to form in Edmund's voice. But still she continued "He is my hope!"

"He's _what!?_ " Edmund was being more and more overwhelmed by the minute and he couldn't help but feel completely threatened by the daring things she had to say.

Thoughts blasted his thoughts…Edmund grumbled in his head. Why was she so bias towards him and not others like Peter? Does the title 'High in High King' mean a thing to her?

Crystalline frowned at how Edmund was acting towards her favorite King. Did he not recognize the greatness of this King, this king that could possibly set her and others free for good? The anger inside of her was pounding in her head and her instinct was to protect this King of hers and fight back.

"Ever since I heard about him, I was told that he battled for the freedom of the Narnians at Beruna. When I heard that he was coming to Tashbaan, I hoped that by some chance he would be able to-"

"You see he can't do that, Crystalline!" Edmund interrupted again, "If he _could_ he would probably set us free in a _snap_ by the way you make him sound. Tonight, even! But he _can't!_ Until Aslan decides otherwise, _I_ am stuck here. _You_ are stuck here. And _all the others!_ I'm sorry but he can't; _not even_ High King Peter or _any_ of the great Kings that rule free land! The _only_ one who can take us out of slavery is the Tisroc! And you and I both know that's _not_ going to happen!"

Crystalline was now full of hate and anger, she was clenching her fists in frustration and her eyes were filling with angry tears that threatened to pour out at any second.

"Well I know one thing," She spat, "You are _not_ just!"

The last sentence was like taking a dagger to Edmund's heart. He had worked form many years to live up to the name he had been given by Aslan himself, and in one sentence spoken by a slave girl, all of his goals, his hopes, his accomplishments were all torn down and ripped to shreds. Suddenly the wounds on his back were no more than mere scratches compared to the damage done to him with that one statement.

Crystalline turned her back to Edmund, not knowing what she had just done. Edmund was still mentally staggering behind her and he whispered without much thought,

"Crystalline?"

Crystalline could hear hurt in his voice but couldn't tell why. There was sympathy there, too sympathy for making her so angry… Still, she remained quiet. Edmund still tried to talk,

"Crystalline, I didn't mean to—"

"The subject is _closed_ , Edmund." Crystalline whispered coldly. She heard Edmund sigh again and lay down in his bed; whispering a goodnight that she pretended to ignore.

In her bed Crystalline's mind was racing. When she had whispered his name in her last sentence she then realized that this foolish boy and her favorite King had the same name. Why would he be so against the things she said about Edmund the Just if he was named after the king himself? She didn't think to long about it, as the frustration was still pounding in her head and the angry adrenaline her body.

For a while after, her mind began to stream angry thoughts which later calmed into more tears. Not angry tears this time, the ones that are hot and burn your eyes but the ones that are colder and lonelier and only begin to drip one at a time. Tears of sadness. Sadness for the fact that she knew deep down that Edmund was right, she would be a slave until she died. Now all she could do was cry, her hopes of freedom were being dashed, one by one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

 **The Mission**

The next morning wasn't a very happy one. Crystalline refused to make eye contact with or speak to Edmund, and she nearly just barely ran out of the slave's quarters when Edmund tried to apologize to her for their little spat the night previous. Edmund finally gave up trying to apologize, and followed James with a heavy heart to the Tarkaan's house, where he and James read the tasks for the day to the other slaves.

"Oh no!" Edmund groaned.

"What's the matter, Edmund?" James asked as he was trying to find one slave's job on the work board in order to tell her what it was.

"I'm working with the Tarkaan's _children_ today!"

"So…?"

"I don't know what to do!"

"Take it easy, Edmund. All you have to do is address them as 'sir' or 'miss' (the Tarkaan has a boy and a girl, you know). I prefer to call Lasaraleen (the girl) 'Lazzie' but I think that's only for me to call 'er that."

Edmund starred at James for a long minute before finally replying, "Thank you for the _valuable_ information, James."

James laughed. "I can see that almost half of what I told you doesn't really have a value to you. Let me tell you what does have a value while we walk to the children's room. Goodness _knows_ how you'd catch it if you were late. Master's very strict about punctuality."

Edmund followed James down the hall, being lectured all the while. By the time he had entered the parlor where the Tarkaan sat with his two children, Edmund had learned to be polite and put up with whatever nonsense the children threw at him.

"But most importantly," James had warned, "Don't lose your temper. It can be fatal, especially if Master stays within earshot."

Edmund and James paused in the doorway, waiting to be noticed by the Tarkaan. Edmund observed that the Tarkaan acted toward people the way that Attila the Hun did; acting cruel toward everyone except for his family.

The Tarkaan, upon hearing the two stop in the doorway, looked up. His eyes were immediately drained of all kindness and love, and immediately took on the usual coldness and cruelty.

"Ah. You're on time," The Tarkaan remarked, more to himself than to Edmund. He starred at Edmund, his eyes taking on a sudden fierce glare. Edmund bushed. He had been starring straight into the Tarkaan's eyes.

"Come here, boy," The Tarkaan snapped. Edmund exchanged a glance with James before he forced himself to walk over to where the Tarkaan sat. James took a deep breath and nodded to the Tarkaan before exiting the room and closing the door.

"Y-Yes, Sir?" Edmund stammered. The Master seemed to be even more enraged at Edmund's sudden humility. With an angry grunt, he cruelly slapped Edmund across the face with the back of his hand.

Edmund, unnerved and startled by the sudden impact, reeled back and tried to steady himself. Once he did, Edmund was surprised by how badly he was shaking.

"I will not have ye starring at me as if you were equal. Got it, boy?" The Tarkaan barked from somewhere in the room.

"Yes, Sir."

"Good." The Tarkaan replied curtly as he rose from his seat. Edmund was sure to stare at the floor as the Tarkaan glanced at Edmund.

"To ensure that this does not happen again, I think a day without food or water will be in order," The Tarkaan said indifferently as if he were merely giving the time of day.

"But Sir, I—"

" _But?!_ " The Tarkaan shot Edmund a furious glare.

 _Don't try to argue, Edmund._ Edmund told himself as he tried to keep from collapsing. If this Tarkaan could readily give severe beatings or starve even his most obedient slaves, who knows how this Calormene Spartan would treat a slave who he considered to be disobedient?

"I'm sorry, Sir. I don't know what come over me," Edmund tried to make amends, but it ended disastrously. The Tarkaan, with one long stride, was suddenly in front of Edmund and had grabbed Edmund's face. Raising Edmund's chin the Tarkaan looked straight into Edmund's frightened doe brown eyes.

"Don't let me _ever_ catch you letting your mouth run away with you, boy," He hissed like a venomous snake, "Because if you do, you'll regret it."

"Yes, sir," Edmund obediently answered.

"And know one more thing, boy; you'd do well to obey henceforth. I'll let you off just this once, but if I find you slacking off in your duties again, I'll teach you to do better," The Tarkaan snapped with a tone of finality.

"Yes sir," Edmund replied, trying not to show his horror as a shiver ran down his spine.

"Good," The Tarkaan replied before turning to his children, who were sitting, unnoticed, by a marble table next to the place where the Tarkaan had just risen from.

"Now, O my children and O the delight of my eyes," The Tarkaan began lovingly, "I must leave you to attend to my duties."

The children, a boy and a girl, rose and hugged their father. Then the Tarkaan left the room, leaving Edmund alone with the two children.

"Hello," The girl greeted Edmund as she trotted over to him. "My name's Lasaraleen. Do you like my dress?"

Edmund smiled at the young girl. "It is very becoming, miss."

The boy, however, looked Edmund over carefully. He was about as old as Edmund himself, and he instantly turned to his sister in a rebuking tone.

"That is not how you address a common house slave, Las," He rebuked his sister, glaring at Edmund after he had finished. Edmund starred down at the marble floor. This was not doing to be a good day.

The rest of the day had gone by rather well, if by "well" you only meant avoiding being yelled at or punished. Edmund was now lying in his bunk at the slave's quarters. The last few slaves were taking their places in the quarters. Last of them all was Crystalline, who sat in her bed and paused to look at Edmund. Unexpectedly, Edmund opened his eyes and met her glance. Crystalline's heart skipped a beat. The look that Edmund had given Crystalline was one of pure misery.

"What's the matter with you?" Crystalline asked, almost forgetting to mask her concern.

"I got in trouble today."

"A beating?"

"Worse."

"What could be worse than that?"

"A whole day without food or water, that's what."

Crystalline nodded. The slaves got hardly any food as it was, and going without it, especially going without water, was a disaster waiting to happen, especially since it was summer.

"Do you have anything on you?" Edmund asked hopefully, almost desperately.

"What do you mean?" Crystalline returned, almost failing to keep her voice cold and heartless.

"In the way of water?" Edmund asked.

"No. You should've taken a drink after your duties." Crystalline said coldly, forgetting the sympathy she had had for Edmund a moment before.

"The master banned me from food or water for a day remember?"

"How does that concern me?" Crystalline snapped as she untied her hair and let it flow like black silk down her back.

"I thought that you would've been able to relieve me of some misery."

"Why should I?"

"Because it's a decent thing to do?"

"Why do you talk to me about decency when you're not decent yourself?" Crystalline spat, a flame of anger steadily becoming enkindled in her brown eyes.

"Why do you judge me just because I opposed what you said last night?" Edmund asked as a "kicked puppy" formed on his pale face.

"Because…" Crystalline's voice trailed off. She really didn't have a good reason.

"Exactly," Edmund replied to Crystalline's silence. After saying this, he turned over in bed.

Crystalline sighed. In her heart, she knew that she had treated Edmund wrongly. But she _did_ still want to punish him for hurting her feelings last night… She was now hoping that Edmund would turn over and try to apologize to her, and then she would forgive him, but Crystalline was startled when she saw that Edmund didn't move.

Crystalline finally took off her threadbare and dusty apron and hung it in a peg on the post of her bunk. As she lay down in her bunk, she wondered if she had judged Edmund rightly the night before. Maybe she was wrong in treating Edmund like this. Maybe she should apologize and say that their little tiff had gone too far…

 _No_ , Crystalline thought. _I will not apologize to him. If anyone need apologize, it's him._ Crystalline then turned over in her bunk and forgot about the whole thing.

Edmund, however, didn't forget about it. Tears began to well in his eyes. How could this girl treat him like this? After risking his life in a duel to save _her_ from slavery? In putting himself at risk of being captured for _her?_ And because of _her_ he would probably never see his siblings again? Edmund groaned.

"Aslan…" He whispered.

"I am here, Edmund."

Edmund sat up instantly. Turning around, he saw the large form of the Great Lion standing next to his ample bunk, giving him looks of sympathy.

"Aslan!" Edmund whispered, throwing his arms around the Great Lion's shaggy head.

"My dear son," Aslan said, gently giving Edmund a kiss with his pink tongue.

"Aslan, have you come to free me?" Edmund whispered hopefully.

"No, son. You must endure much more before you will be freed."

"Why?"

"Because I have sent you here for a reason."

"What reason is that?"

"To save the girl who you think is your enemy."

"Who…" Edmund began but he knew exactly who Aslan was referring to when the Great Lion turned to look at the sleeping form of Crystalline.

"Why her, Aslan? I've done so much for her in the short amount of time that I've known her, yet she's so ungrateful!"

"You have just met her, son. Give her time, patience, and gentleness, and she will begin to trust you."

"Trust me? Why doesn't she trust me?"

"It is part of her story, Edmund. I never tell people anything but their own story."

"I understand, Aslan."

The Great Lion smiled and nuzzled Edmund understandingly. "I know it is hard for you to understand, but many great things will happen when this crystal-eyed lady becomes a true lady."

Edmund nodded. Aslan was right. This was hard for him to understand. But no matter what, he would obey Aslan's orders.

"It is time for you to go to sleep, Edmund," Aslan tore Edmund from his thoughts.

"Yes, Aslan," Edmund replied as he reluctantly lay down in bed.

"Now close your eyes," Aslan said, giving Edmund a knowing look. Edmund obeyed.

The Great Lion gently breathed on Edmund. After feeling the gentle sweet smelling breath of the lion cover him, he began to feel drowsy. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

Aslan stood beside Edmund's bunk for a moment, watching Edmund's features relax and his chest begin to steadily rise and fall. The Great Lion's look turned sad.

"Much more will you have to endure, Edmund," Aslan whispered as he kissed Edmund on the forehead with his pink, sandy tongue a final time.

"Much, much more."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

 **Healing and Planning**

The next morning, Edmund was awake before anyone else. Stepping out of the slave's quarters, he stood and watched the sun rise. Edmund smiled and took in a deep breath of fresh air. It wasn't Narnian air, but it was air all the same, and Edmund was grateful for it. For a while, he stood there, listening to the birds sing and watching the sun set afire the horizon.

As the sun rose a bit higher, Edmund began to hear the sounds of the others awakening in the slaves quarters behind him. Edmund sighed. It was time for the day to begin.

For someone who had been living on the plantation for about a week, Edmund had become very accustomed to the work that he was assigned to. He was working in the fields again when he had his first chance to make good on his promise to Aslan to be King to Crystalline. Edmund was in the middle of hoeing and quietly speaking with James, who was working in the row beside him, when Edmund heard crying coming from the path that ran alongside the fields. He turned and nearly had to take a second look when he spotted Crystalline stumbling along the dirt road from the Tarkaan's house to the slave's quarters. Edmund turned back around. He thought that there was nothing for him to do. That was until he heard an angered call come from behind him,

"HEY! GIRL! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, WILL YE?"

Edmund spun around and saw Crystalline sitting on the ground, starring up at the overseer, trying to keep from sobbing. The angered overseer suddenly turned toward the fields,

"HEY, YOU LOT!"

The overseer didn't have to try to attract the attention of the slaves, for they all had stopped what they were doing to see what was going on.

"ONE OF YOU GET THIS GIRL TO THE SLAVES QUARTERS!"

Edmund waited to see if anyone would step up to help Crystalline, but no one did. The impatient overseer finally rushed over to Edmund (Edmund was nearest to him) and dragged him over to Crystalline. Edmund didn't need to be told what he had to do. He gently helped Crystalline up and wrapped one of her arms over his shoulder. Letting Crystalline lean on him, Edmund led her to the slave's quarters and to her bunk.

"What happened to you?" Edmund asked, kindly but not very warmly.

"I- I—" Crystalline tried, but she couldn't seem to say anything without breaking down and crying. And crying was the last thing that she wanted to do in front of Edmund.

"Lay down," Edmund said in a tone that was gently yet commanding. Crystalline nodded and lay face down on her bunk. Edmund seemed to have warmed up a little, and a look of sympathy now graced his brown eyes.

"Do you mind?" Edmund asked, holding the strings that held Crystalline's bodice on.

"Don't undo too much," Crystalline sniffled. Edmund nodded and gently untied the strings and opened the back of the bodice up enough to gain access to Crystalline's back, which was half covered with open cuts.

"Stay here. I'll be back presently," Edmund said, and left the room. He came back about five minutes later, out of breath and carrying a crude wooden pitcher of water and some rags and bandages.

"Now hold still. This might sting a bit," Edmund said quietly as he dipped a rag into the water and gently laid it on one of Crystalline's larger cuts. Crystalline hissed. It did sting.

Edmund continued with his work. It hurt for the most part, but Edmund was gentler with wounds than others that had dressed Crystalline's back in previous years.

"When did you become a physician?" Crystalline broke the silence. Edmund was silent for a moment.

"I, um, was trained in the art of medicine by a centaur," Edmund replied rather quickly. Crystalline was silent for a moment.

"I didn't think that you'd treat me so kindly," Crystalline thought out loud, instantly regretting it.

"Why do you say that?" Edmund asked, wringing some excess water from a rag.

"Well… because of…what…I… _said_ ," Crystalline replied carefully. Edmund could hear regret in her voice.

"What about what you said?" Edmund asked.

"Well, I thought that you would still be holding a grudge," Crystalline replied.

"Why should I?"

"Why do you think?"

"Oh, because you said that I was supposedly unjust?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"I admit that what you said…" Edmund's voice trailed off.

 _Now's no time for chivalry, Edmund._ Edmund rebuked himself. _Especially after what she's done to you…_

"Edmund," Edmund heard Aslan's voice growl.

"Yes, Aslan," Edmund sighed out loud.

"What?" The incredulous look on Crystalline's face could be read through her voice.

"Nothing," Edmund replied, blushing. By now he had finished cleaning the wounds and bandaging Crystalline's torso.

"There you are," Edmund said quickly, clumsily lacing Crystalline's bodice back up again. He then hastily grabbed the discarded crimson rags and basin and was about to race out of the slave's quarters when he heard Crystalline call to him,

"Edmund?"

Edmund stopped and turned around. Crystalline had gotten out of her bunk and stood before Edmund, hands behind her back and face down. Her crystal eyes looked up at Edmund…

"Um, er, thank you," She stuttered out before grabbing her apron and swishing past Edmund and out of the slave's quarters. She had meant to apologize, but now she felt she couldn't do it.

"And besides," Crystalline said to herself as she hurried along, "this might be just a temporary relapse of character. He might be his normal stuck up self come tomorrow."

But Edmund, however, stood in the doorway of the slave's quarters, watching Crystalline rush off.

"You're welcome," He said, discarding what he had in his arms before making his way back to the fields.

Months passed by slowly for Edmund. Everything was the same, day in and day out. By now, he had learned to be humble and to not let his temper get the best of him. Every day, he still wondered if his siblings were looking for him…

Peter was sitting on his throne, starring into space. He had been doing this a lot since Edmund had disappeared. It had been two months since he had sent out the last search party to look for Edmund, and now the twenty two year old High king could take it no longer.

"Lightfoot?!" Peter called to a faun who guarded the door to the throne room.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Lightfoot replied, coming into the throne room and bowing to Peter.

"Lightfoot, please get General Orieus, and tell him to please bring a map of Calormen," Peter asked. The faun bowed again.

"Of course, your Majesty."

The faun then rushed out of the room, leaving Peter alone again. Peter sighed and stood up. After looking around the room, Peter trotted down the steps of the dais and store across the room, finally stopping when he reached the railing of the balcony at the end of the room. Peter clutched the ivory railing and looked across the Eastern Ocean. Again, Peter sighed.

"Ed, where are you?" Peter asked, as if Edmund were going to appear and answer his question.

"Your Majesty?" Orieus' worried, yet controlled voice commanded Peter's attention. Peter turned and acknowledged Orieus' prescience on the balcony with a nod in the massive centaur's direction.

"Good morn, Orieus," Peter said, looking the General in the eye.

"Is there something you wished to discuss with me pertaining to Calormen, Your Majesty?" Orieus asked, gesturing to the large parchment maps that he held under his arm.

"Yes, Orieus. Come, let us go inside," Peter said. The General nodded and followed his king inside again. Peter walked over to a table that had been set up, and General Orieus unrolled a map and set it on the table, using four large rocks to weigh the crackling edges of the map down on the table.

"Now," Peter said, taking out some markers that he usually used to mark the places of solders for a battle, "Where have we searched so far, General?"

"Pardon me, your majesty?"

"Where have we searched for Edmund so far?"

"Ah. We have searched all of Tashbaan and at least ten miles surrounding the city."

"Does anyone live beyond where we have searched?"

"Yes your majesty. But there are mostly plantations in that area. The Just King couldn't own a plantation."

"The plantation owners own slaves, I presume?"

"Yes, your majesty. Why do you ask?" confusion was written in the general's voice.

"Instinct tells me that Ed might have been captured," Peter sighed and lay his hands on the table.

"If your royal brother was captured, Your Majesty, it will be very hard to find him."

"Do tell, General."

"For one thing," Orieus began carefully, "There are many plantations due South, especially in Zalindreh, that place by the sea, right there," Orieus pointed to the place on the map before continuing, "That is the part of Calormen with the richest plantations. The owners of the plantations own many slaves. If your majesty wishes to start in a part of Calormen that is slave rich, Zalindreh would be the place to start."

Peter nodded. "Then of your courtesy General, gather a small band of troops. We will set out for Zalindreh in the morning."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

 **An Unexpected Guest**

Back on the plantation, weeks slowly turned into months. The heat of late spring and summer soon began to fade into the cool, cloudy days of fall. Because of the cooler temperatures, it was now that it was almost pleasant for Edmund to follow James and the others to the fields to work. Every day was much like the last, spent picking ripe citrus and planting new trees. Over the months, Crystalline and Edmund had begun to talk to one another more and more, and though neither of them fully realized it, they were slowly becoming friends.

It was late September, and the sun was shining brightly overhead as Edmund was helping James load some oranges into a bushel basket when he heard someone rapidly walking behind them. Edmund turned to see who was walking at such a fast pace, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw an overseer walking towards them.

"James, double your work," Edmund hissed at James, who was sitting on a sturdy lower branch of an old citrus tree, tugging at an abnormally large lemon that refused to come off the tree.

"Why?" James asked as the lemon suddenly popped free, nearly sending him flying off the branch he was precariously perched on.

"Overseer," Edmund hissed again, grabbing an orange and shoving it into the bushel basket next to him before the overseer came any closer.

"Hey you," the overseer called, gesturing to Edmund.

"Yes sir?" Edmund called back, turning from the tree to face the overseer. He made sure not to make eye contact with the man.

"You're wanted in the great house. You'd better go there now."

"Yes sir."

"Get to it, then," The overseer snapped in response, instantly turning on his heel and stalking away.

Edmund turned to cast James an apologetic look.

"I'll carry on without you, Edmund. Thanks to your quick work, we're already three bushels ahead of our quota today," James said with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks, James," Edmund replied, running down the rows of citrus trees. The green leaves seemed to be illuminated as the golden sunlight shone through them. The breeze that cooled Edmund's hot face seemed to be assuring him that all was well. Edmund smiled and took in a deep breath. He imagined himself back in Narnia, back at Cair Paravel.

 _He saw Peter chasing Lucy through the rose Gardens of Cair Paravel, their satin clothes catching the Narnian sunlight like polished glass. The scarlet roses that surrounded them seemed so real and soft that Edmund could reach out to touch them. In his daydream, Edmund turned to see Susan sitting on a stone bench. Her raven black hair gleamed like spun silk, and her pale face was turned in the direction of Peter and Lucy. Her icy blue eyes held that old familiar gleam that Edmund hadn't seen in months. Her pink cheeks were glowing as she laughed at her siblings' antics. Her slender fingers were holding a delicate piece of embroidery, which she periodically looked down at to make a stitch with shimmering golden thread._

 _"_ _Edmund!" Lucy called through her laughter, "Edmund! Tell Peter to stop!"_

 _Edmund turned back to see Lucy sprawled on the green grass, her cheeks flushed from running. Peter was kneeling down next to her, tickling her mercilessly. In the grass next to them lay his heavy golden crown and Lucy's delicate silver circlet._

 _"_ _Edmund! Edmund…"_

Edmund's daydream began to fade. Sadly, he opened his eyes. He had by now slowed down to a walk. Edmund sighed despairingly. He was standing alone on the edge of the citrus orchards, not a king or a sibling but a lonely slave.

"There you are, boy!" Edmund heard the Tarkaan's voice call to him from a short distance away. Edmund turned to see his master walking up to him, an impatience written on his tanned face.

"You called me, sir?"

"Yes. You are coming with me to market."

"Yes sir. What do you need me to do, sir?"

"What do I need you to do? I need you to pack the cart, that's what I need you to do."

"Yes sir."

"I don't want to hear any mouth from you about it, either. Got it, boy?"

"Yes sir," Edmund replied humbly.

"Good." The Tarkaan turned sharply around, motioning for Edmund to follow. Edmund obediently trotted behind the Tarkaan, trying to keep up with the man's long strides.

There was no noise on the plantation except for the singing of the birds and the scraping sounds of the slave's hoes overturning earth as the two passed by the fields. Edmund smiled gladly when the stables came in sight. Rushing ahead of the Tarkaan, he raced through the doors of the stables and ran down the aisle of stalls until her came to the stall of an exceptionally large white draft horse. Edmund had worked with the horse on and off over the months he had been here, and he two had formed a special bond.

"Lenis, my pet! It is time for us to get you ready to go to market!" Edmund called to the horse. The horse, presumably Lenis, perked up his white ears. Upon recognizing Edmund's voice and scent of earth, Lenis greeted the young man with a soft whinny.

"Ah! I see that you're happy to see me!" Edmund said with a laugh as the horse stretched his neck over the stall door in order to nibble Edmund's black hair affectionately. Edmund chuckled once more and unlatched the stall door. Catching hold of Lenis' halter, he led the horse out of his stall and down the remaining aisle of stalls (the Tarkaan owned at least twenty horses) until the tow had come to the place where a heavy wooden wagon was kept. Edmund led Lenis to the wagon and deftly harnessed the horse to it before leading Lenis down the aisle of stalls once more, this time out of the stables altogether. Along the way, Edmund took a long riding crop off of the wall. Outside, the horse stopped to lift his head up in the air and whinny happily.

"You are happy to se the sun again, aren't you? After all those storms that wetted all the plantations, I'm sure that there are many horses in Zalindreh who feel the same way, my friend," Edmund said softly to the horse as he led him towards the Tarkaan, who stood with his arms crossed. Edmund couldn't help but notice that there was the smallest look of amazement in the Tarkaan's face.

"You handle my horses very well," the Tarkaan remarked. Edmund could hear the smallest hint of praise in his voice.

"Thank you, sir."

The Tarkaan, upon hearing Edmund's reply, seemed to be ripped from his thoughts. He shook himself, and putting on his usual grimace, he snapped,

"Well, don't just stand there! Hand me my crop!"

"Yes sir," Edmund replied, handing the Tarkaan the crop that he had taken from the wall. The Tarkaan took the crop and climbed into the driver's seat of the wagon. Edmund was about to climb into the back of the wagon, but the Tarkaan stopped him, saying,

"No, you'll ride next to me today. I don't want you jumping out of the wagon while I'm not looking."

"Yes sir," Edmund replied, trying to keep his patience. Surely this Tarkaan would have known by now that he would never have tried to escape!

Edmund sighed and climbed into the seat next to the Tarkaan. Assuming the humble demeanor he had been taught, Edmund looked down at the hem of his tattered tunic. He fingered at the dusty fabric, realizing for the first time how rough it was. Edmund wondered what his sisters were doing right now. Did they miss him? Perhaps they were searching for him. Or maybe they had assumed that he was dead months ago and gave up all hope of ever seeing him again. What about Peter? What was Peter doing? Had Peter given up hope?

Meanwhile, a large group of armed Narnians were making their way along the main road to Tashbaan. Peter and Orieus headed the group.

"How far is Tashbaan, Orieus?" Peter asked. He was getting weary of riding, but he was even wearier of waiting. He wanted to ride into Tashbaan _now._

"Be not so hasty, sire. We must first ride through the last half of the desert. We will not be able to begin our search until tomorrow morning," Orieus replied calmly.

"How long will it take for us to get to Tashbaan, then?" Peter asked again, his impatience plainly heard in his voice.

"Another two hours at least, your Majesty," Orieus replied with a smile, turning to Peter, who rode on Philip beside him.

"We will get there soon enough, King Peter," Philip tried to calm down the High King, although he was quite anxious to arrive in the city himself. Peter had told Philip and Oreius about his conversation with Aslan, and all three trusted that Aslan would give Peter to know what to do next. Peter, however, was still a little concerned.

"I hope we will get there in time," he muttered, looking anxiously to the southern horizon.

"Pearls for sale!"

"Spices!"

"Citrus!"

Edmund's ears rung from the loud cries of various merchants who were hawking their wares. Swarms of people made their way through the congested streets. Every so often, a canopied litter was carried through the crowds, and people were pushed back to make room for it. Edmund guessed that every market day in Tashbaan was the same.

"Wouldn't it be nice if I were to recognize someone in this crowd?" Edmund thought as he studied the faces of those walking by. Some of the people Edmund was looking at caught Edmund's glance. The commoners cast him short, sympathetic glances before returning to whatever they had been doing.

Suddenly, the sound of trumpets split through the hot air. The trumpets played what sounded like a fanfare for royalty. Its golden notes stirred Edmund to the very depths of himself. He froze like one of the White Witch's statues. Edmund _knew_ that fanfare…

"Make way! Make way for the High King Peter of Narnia!" A familiar voice called almost as soon as the Narnian fanfare ended. Edmund looked down the street and nearly cried out for joy and excitement when he saw Orieus rounding a corner, towering above the heads of the surprised people in the crowd and trying to make it part even the slightest to let the party through.

"Aslan? Aslan! I'm going to be rescued! I'm going to be _free!_ " Edmund whispered, looking into the blue sky.

 _"_ _Not yet, my son,"_ Edmund heard Aslan's voice carry on the abnormally cool wind that suddenly rushed past him.

"But Aslan, I can't just let Peter go!"

 _"_ _I didn't say you had to, Edmund."_

"What am I going to do, then?"

 _"_ _Call your brother, Edmund. Go to him."_

"But this crowd is too thick for me to get through."

 _"_ _I will part the way for you."_

"What about the Tarkaan?"

 _"_ _He will be distracted until I wish for him to notice your absence. Now go before your brother passes!"_

Edmund smiled and began to run.

"Peter!" Edmund called, becoming even more happy and excited as the crowd parted. He became even more jubilant when he saw Peter stop his horse and look around.

"PETER!" Edmund ran to his brother's horse. Peter's blue eyes looked confused for a moment, as he looked around, but suddenly they sparkled with joy when he spotted Edmund. Peter quickly dismounted Philip and ran to Edmund.

"ED!" Peter called, his eyes filling with shining tears, "Ed! Is that really you?"

"Yes Peter, It's— _OW!_ "

Edmund was stripped of all happiness when he felt a death grip on his arm. He didn't have time to spin around before he felt the Tarkaan box his ear.

" _Disobey me, do you?!_ " The Tarkaan roared.

"No sir! I—"

"Oh! Didn't mean to, did ye?" The Tarkaan spat back, his bloodshot eyes becoming even more enkindled with anger. He hit Edmund again.

" _Ow!_ Sir, please don't! I'll be good! Just— _Youch!_ " Edmund tried pleading, but the Tarkaan didn't seem to hear. With every failed attempt to appease the Tarkaan, he only became more furious and hit Edmund again and again. Peter, who was standing about a yard away, was frozen stiff with shock as his little brother was hit until he finally fell to the dusty ground, curled up in a little ball. Edmund glanced at Peter, spotting the look on confusion on his face. Edmund could read Peter's thoughts, who was this man? What happened to Edmund in his absence? Edmund helplessly glanced back up at the Tarkaan. If only he would—

"STOP!"

The Tarkaan froze with his hand in the air, and Edmund, who was relieved that the Tarkaan had ceased hitting him, looked back up at Peter, who had overcome his confusion and was now livid.

"What do you think you are doing?" Peter asked the Tarkaan, putting on his kingly demeanor and taking a step towards the shocked man.

"Punishing a disobedient slave, King Peter," The Tarkaan replied, his voice trembling. Whether it was trembling from fear or anger, no one knew.

"In front of a King of Narnia? In front of the ruler of a free country?" Orieus roared. He knew that the boy who was nursing a nosebleed and a black eye about a foot away from him was his friend and sovereign, and he was prepared to do anything to rescue him.

"Thank you, Orieus," Peter said politely to the General, casting him a look that told him to be quiet for the time being. The general nodded to Peter and took a step back. Peter looked thoughtful for a moment, as if pondering what to say.

 _What am I going to do, Aslan?_ Peter asked, desperate.

" _Just talk. I will help you_." Aslan replied.

"What is your business in Tashbaan?" The Tarkaan snapped at Peter, who turned back around to face the Calormene.

"I am searching for my brother."

"How, then, has my business become yours?"

"Normally, sir, your business would not be mine, but as I have said, I am searching for my brother. I have just received written permission from the Tisroc to search all the plantations and homes of slave owners in Calormen. And you, as a slave owner, qualify as a person whose home I have permission to search." Peter then produced from a pocket in his tunic a parchment scroll. He then unrolled it and held it up for all to see. Everyone knew by the seal decorated with a spear and a turban that the Tisroc had signed the parchment that Peter held. If only they had known what trouble he had gone through to get that permission…

The Tarkaan starred dumbly up at Peter, his mouth open. "W-what?"

"You heard me," Peter replied, mounting Philip, "I have permission from the Tisroc to search your home."

"What if I refuse?"

"It is not a matter of refusal, sir," Peter said, sternly but politely. The Tarkaan stood still for a moment before he finally threw his arms up in the air and called,

"Fine, then!"

The Tarkaan then grabbed Edmund by the arm and dragged him to his feet. Edmund couldn't help but cower as the Tarkaan shot him a murderous look. Edmund meekly followed the Tarkaan back to the cart. As he turned around in his seat next to the Tarkaan, he caught Peter's glance. The two brothers stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. Both wondered how they could get out of this mess.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

 **The Brother I Am Not**

The Tarkaan, Edmund, and the Narnian party arrived at the plantation at sunset. Crystalline, who was not used to the Tarkaan coming home so late in the evening, was worried sick and was nearly reduced to hysterics by the time the wagon pulled into the courtyard of the plantation.

"What happened?" Crystalline hissed to Edmund as he was calmly and collectedly leading Lenis back to the stables.

"Follow me, and I'll tell you," Edmund replied with a grin. Crystalline huffed, but followed Edmund. Why was he _always_ so calm when she was worried sick? Why were men always jovial and low key when women nerves were strained to the point of near hysterics?

"Well?" Crystalline said when the two were behind closed stable doors.

"We ran into Peter—I mean, _High King_ Peter, in the market today," Edmund replied, catching himself before it became evident that Edmund was on close terms with the High King. Crystalline took no notice of Edmund's correcting himself. Instead, she starred at Edmund in total shock.

"What?"

"You heard me," Edmund replied with a grin.

"Did you talk to him?"

"I think that's a bit obvious from the black eye and the nosebleed."

Crystalline now noticed that Edmund had a painful looking dark ring around his left eye and that there were spots of crimson on the front of his tunic where the blood had dripped onto the rough cream colored fabric.

"Oh, he didn't punish you in _public_ , did he?" Crystalline groaned. Being whipped in the stables in front of the other slaves was embarrassing enough, but being beat up by the Tarkaan in public was even more embarrassing to the poor victim.

"Yep. Not only in public, mind you, but in front of the High King himself," Edmund replied as he guided Lenis into his stall.

"What did the High King do?" Crystalline asked as she took a seat on a bale of hay nearby.

"Well, the High King was stunned for a moment at what the Tarkaan was doing, but then he stopped the Tarkaan and told him that he had a written letter from the Tisroc. The High King then held up the letter and everyone could see the Tisroc's insignia at the bottom of the parchment. After that, the High King declared that the parchment was a written order stating that he had a right to search every plantation in Zalindreh—"

"The High King is in Zalindreh? This very moment?" Crystalline interrupted with excitement, forgetting completely about her previous annoyance at Edmund.

"The High King is not only in Zalindreh, Crystal," Edmund replied, his brown eyes gleaming.

"What do you mean?" Crystalline asked incredulously, before adding quickly, "And don't call me Crystal."

"What I mean is that the High King's footfalls can be heard resounding throughout the halls of our "dear" Tarkaan's house."

"WHAT?!" Crystalline cried, jumping to her feet.

"You heard me," Edmund replied with a naughty sparkly-eyed smile for the second time in the conversation, obviously amused at Crystalline's shock.

A few hours later, Edmund was with Peter in one of the many Guesthouses on the plantation grounds that the Tarkaan had given Peter and the Narnian Company. Peter's guesthouse, however, was larger than the others, saved only for great Tarkaans and other nobles who came to visit. Edmund, who had been assigned to accompany Peter to the Guesthouse, now found himself trying to find reason after reason for why he was taking so long to report back to the Tarkaan, as Peter instantly began talking as soon as the guesthouse door was closed behind them.

"Where have you been, Ed? How did you get here? Lucy and Susan and I were _worried sick_ about you! We thought you were _dead!_ By the _Mane_ , Edmund, you're more of a heart's scald than Prince Corin of Archenland!" Peter barely paused to take a breath as he went on and on.

"And now we finally have found you!" Peter concluded happily after two minutes of mindless chatter, pulling his little brother into a bear-like hug. "And tomorrow we shall set out for Narnia and for Cair Paravel—"

"Peter," Edmund finally interrupted elder brother, pulling out of Peter's embrace to give him a grave look, "I can't come home with you."

"What?" Peter asked incredulously; a dumbfounded look painted on his surprised face.

"I have studied Calormene law extensively," Edmund began, sitting Peter down in a chair, "And I found one law that concerns foreign prisoners. The only way that you could rescue me is if I was sold to the Tisroc's mines, and you were a Calormene Lord looking for a slave," Edmund then sighed, waiting for Peter to respond.

Peter was silent for a long moment, not knowing how to respond. Finally, he said in almost a whisper,

"You mean, you're stuck here for the rest of your life?" To Peter's dismay, Edmund nodded solemnly.

"Unless I ran away from the plantation and succeeded in doing so without being captured, there is no way that I can leave this place," Edmund replied.

Peter was silent for another moment, his mind swirling. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and cried happily,

"I know! How about I tell the Tarkaan that you're King Edmund the Just, my brother, and I _demand_ him hand you over to me, or else _every_ Narnian in my party, from the mightiest centaur to the smallest talking mouse, will attack? It is quite true, Ed!"

Edmund replied quickly, almost frantically, " ** _NO!_** No, Peter! _You cannot do that!_ "

Peter raised a confused eyebrow. Edmund had never given such strong opposition to any of his ideas before. "Why not, Ed?"

Edmund thought for a moment. Making sure that Crystalline didn't know who he truly was; that was the only reason why, but Edmund quickly thought of another excuse,

"The Tarkaan bought me with his own money, Peter. I don't think he'd want to just merely _hand_ me over to you. And besides, what would the Tisroc do to Narnia if he found that I was in slavery here? Try to lay siege on Cair Paravel? No, Peter. It's not wise. Just pretend I'm not your brother for the time being… _at least_ not around the Tarkaan and the other slaves."

Peter nodded reluctantly but understandingly. He couldn't argue with the fact that the Tarkaan would most probably put up a fight if Peter tried to win his brother back.

"Tell you what though, Pete," Edmund continued carefully, "How about you stay, you know, find some excuse to stay here for a few extra days, and maybe we can find a way to get me out of here?"

Peter nodded and smiled. "Alright, Ed," He replied.

Suddenly, the door to the guesthouse swung open, and there stood Crystalline, a worried expression on her tired face. She bobbed a quick curtsy to Peter and said to Edmund before she could be overwhelmed by being in the presence of Narnia's High King,

"Edmund, the Tarkaan, er, I mean, the _master's_ getting pretty impatient. I think you'd better come with me."

Edmund nodded. "Alright, Crystal. I'll be there in a minute."

Edmund smiled as he saw Crystalline give him an annoyed look which clearly meant, "Do _not_ call me Crystal in front of the High King" before bobbing a curtsy to Peter. Peter smiled, rose, and bowed to Crystalline.

"Forgive me my _fair lady_ , for keeping your friend here for so long," Peter said as he looked up at the dumbfounded Crystalline. Crystalline's faced flushed scarlet and she curtsied again before hopping out of the doorway and closing the door behind her, mumbling incoherently as she did so.

Edmund turned back to Peter with a smirk on his face.

"King Peter the Ever-Flirtatious," Edmund teased before walking to the door.

"Try King Peter the Gentleman, Ed," Peter teased back.

Edmund rolled his eyes. "Goodnight, Pete."

"Goodnight, Ed. Aslan keep you."

"Aslan keep you as well."

Edmund walked out the door and shut it behind him. As he looked up into the now dark sky and watched the stars gleam in the firmament, Edmund wondered how on earth he was going to get out of this mess.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

 **Infirmity**

The events that took place the next morning were quite chaotic. Every able bodied slave that could be spared work for an hour or so was busily at work in the Tarkaan's large kitchen, preparing breakfast for the many members of the Narnian party, including the High King himself.

"I need another cruse of oil, please!" Crystalline cried, running into the kitchen like a madwoman. She had never before been this busy serving breakfast (or any meal, for that matter).

"Here, Crystal!" Edmund replied, passing a glass cruse to Crystalline, who for once didn't tell him to not call her Crystal. For the first time since she met him, Crystalline began to feel happy to be around Edmund. There was something about him that made her feel happier in his company than in anyone else's.

"Thanks, Edmund," Crystalline replied, flashing him a large smile, her crystal eyes gleaming like diamonds in his direction as she took a firm hold on the cruse and raced out of the kitchen.

Edmund was quite surprised at Crystalline's strange behavior. Crystalline had never smiled at him before, let alone smiled at him _sincerely._ James, who was preparing some grapes next to Edmund, smiled and laughed.

"I guess she likes you now, brother," he said as he stopped working long enough to good-naturedly elbow Edmund in the ribs.

"I guess," Edmund replied, rubbing the spot James had elbowed him.

"A flask of spiced wine, please," Crystalline seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Coming right up, milady," Edmund replied with a quick, good natured bow. Crystalline giggled. Edmund always seemed to have time to make a busy person feel happy… or maybe it was just her.

"Why are you so giddy this morning?" Edmund asked as he walked across the room to where the etched glass pitcher of spiced wine that was waiting for him. _Goodness, I haven't tasted spiced wine in such a long time…_

"I can't believe the High King's here! He is such a good natured man!" Crystalline replied, doing a little twirl as Edmund came back with the pitcher.

"Be careful! You might be wed soon," Edmund joked, casting Crystalline a naughty grin as he placed the pitcher on the counter in front of Crystalline.

"Oh, Edmund, don't be cheeky!" Crystalline replied, lightly hitting him on the shoulder.

"Yes, milady," Edmund replied with a grin before he rushed off to another part of the kitchen to grab some oranges to peel.

Crystalline rolled her eyes and trotted out of the kitchen once more. Once out of the kayos of the kitchen, she paused for a moment to adjust her grip on the heavy pitcher before gracefully walking across the marble floor of the dining room to the long table where King Peter was conversing with the Tarkaan and his family. As Crystalline set the heavy pitcher down in the center of the table,

"Hello! Do you like my dress?" Asked Lasaraleen, who was sitting in the seat next to where Crystalline stood. Crystalline smiled and made a little curtsy to Lasaraleen while replying softly,

"Very much, miss. Quite a becoming dress, I must say, miss." Lasaraleen seemed to be very happy at this answer, because went back to eating without speaking another word (which was a rather hard thing for her to do).

Crystalline, wiping her sweaty hands on her apron (because the Tarkaan had company, she was wearing a clean white apron and a clean beige dress), walked over to a corner of the room and stood there, waiting to be of any assistance. She was very intent on watching King Peter. He was wearing a golden tunic that split at the front, showing a white satin tunic underneath. He was also wearing white tights and brown leather boots, and his golden hair was tied in a neat ponytail behind his head. He was smiling and nodding politely as the Tarkaan's wife was talking about the citrus orchards, which Peter had complimented on a few minutes ago.

"How long may we have the pleasure of serving your royal highness?" The Tarkaan's wife changed the subject. King Peter paused to think for a moment, his face turning grave as he replied,

"I am sorry to say that my company and I must stay for a fortnight or so, milady. I must make sure that there are no traces of my brother on your plantation."

Crystalline furrowed her brow when she heard this. How could there be any traces of King Edmund on the plantation? Or was King Peter referring to someone else?

The Tarkaan's wife seemed to be wondering the same, for she asked, "What brings you to our plantation out of all the others, your majesty?"

Peter paused again, this time to swallow what he had in his mouth. "I am searching for my royal brother, King Edmund the Just. He has been missing for some time. Your plantation is the closest to the border of Zalindreh. Yours is the first of many plantations that my party will search in the coming months, I assure you. "

Crystalline's heart stopped beating. King Edmund was _missing?_

"Oh how awful!" the Tarkaan's wife said with fake sympathy, though it was plainly seen that she was quite interested in this little tidbit. Crystalline couldn't help but inwardly groan. The Tarkaan's wife was a very gossipy woman, and no doubt all of Zalindreh would know this news before a fortnight was out.

"How long has King Edmund been missing for, King Peter?" The Tarkaan's wife continued.

"He has not been seen or heard from for about eight months, milady. It will be nine months in a fortnight."

Crystalline stopped breathing. Eight months? _That's how long Edmund and I have been here…_

Crystalline's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone letting out a violent wheezing cough. Looking up from the marble floor at which she had been gazing, Crystalline saw James, leaning on the lintel of the kitchen doorway, trying to quiet down his coughing.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Tarkaan sternly asked James, who was now bent over so low that he looked like he was bowing.

"I'm… sorry… sir…" James squeaked, letting out a cough between every word. He sounded like a dog toy with a broken squeaker.

"Here; let me," King Peter said kindly, rising from his chair and walking over to James, who looked was looking up fearfully, as if he half expected the High King to hit him. James had no cause for being alarmed, however; because King Peter merely wrapped his arm around James and led him to a stool close to where Crystalline stood.

"What's the matter?" Crystalline whispered to James, who had gotten his coughing under control and was now trying to catch his breath.

"Calormene air. Doesn't agree with me," James replied, smiling up at Crystalline. Both of them looked back at the dining table when they heard the High King begin to speak,

"I think that the lad might have allergies, sir," Peter said to the Tarkaan gravely, "He might even have a bad case of asthma."

"Phsaw," snorted the ignorant Tarkaan, "it's only because he's a weakling. He'll be fitter once I have him work more."

Crystalline worriedly glanced back down at James, who had an apprehensive expression painted on his pale face. He was already doing back breaking work in the fields on a daily basis. How could he do more?

"I don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation, sir," Peter replied quietly.

"What is there to understand?" The Tarkaan returned as he sat back in his chair with an expression of fake interest plastered on his face.

"Asthma isn't something that will go away with more work. The coughing and wheezing will only increase if he is outside more than he is already," Peter replied, choosing every word he spoke with great care so as not to anger the Tarkaan. "Asthma is, more or less, a restriction of air to the lungs. In this young man's case right here—" Peter gestured to James before continuing, "—it might be fatal."

The Tarkaan raised an eyebrow. "Where did _you_ learn so much about medicine?"

Peter sighed. "My royal brother has asthma as well, thought not as badly as this young man. I know very much about it because I have had to treat my brother's allergies while traveling on more than one occasion."

The Tarkaan nodded in reply. For the first time that morning, the room was completely silent.

"And then King Peter said that King Edmund had asthma!" Crystalline was relaying the events of the morning to Edmund as they walked back from the fields together. Crystalline had gone to the fields to give the field workers water at the end of their work day, and Edmund had been the last field worker to receive a drink, so both thought they had a good excuse to be seen walking back the slave's quarters together.

"Oh, really?" Edmund replied absent-mindedly, rubbing his kinked neck. Work in the fields today had been brutal, and he was steadily losing his patience with Crystalline. _Could she be blathering on any louder?_ Edmund thought to himself as he tried to un-kink his aching neck.

"Yes! And…" Crystalline's voice trailed off as she saw Edmund wasn't paying attention.

"What's the matter, Edmund?" Crystalline asked.

"James," Edmund replied with a sigh, turning around to see James limping behind him. "He's been assigned more work than he can possibly undertake on his own. If the Tarkaan's not careful, he'll work James to death."

Crystalline turned to look at James as well. "Poor James," she sighed.

"And there's another thing," Edmund added, his patience suddenly disintegrating, "Why on earth are you so empathetic today? Yesterday you hated me, and today you seem to enjoy my company! For goodness sakes girl, _make up your mind!_ "

Crystalline raised an eyebrow as Edmund picked up his pace a little, walking a leg ahead.

"And why are you suddenly so cold?" Crystalline replied coolly, trotting to keep up with Edmund's long strides.

"When _you've_ been working in the fields, overturning hard, compacted earth all day, _then_ talk to me about having a cold demeanor," Edmund replied curtly. His conscience instantly smote him, reminding him that Aslan had wanted him to be kind to Crystalline.

Though Edmund didn't notice, Crystalline's face suddenly held a look that was a mix between sadness and sympathy. As she slowed her walk for a second, letting Edmund walk ahead of her, she spotted the long, straight scars on Edmund's bare back. She remembered how he had taken care of her when she had those wounds, but yet he never allowed anyone to take care of him after a beating. Almost like, dare she say it, a King of Narnia. Edmund was always the first one to rise in the morning and last to lie down at night. He always helped a comrade in need, but never thought of himself…

"Edmund?" Crystalline asked. Edmund stopped short and turned around to face Crystalline.

"What, Crystalline?" Edmund replied. His exhaustion could be plainly heard in his voice, as well as seen in his eyes, which were dull and had no sparkle in them.

"I just wanted to say—" Crystalline began, but she was interrupted by a fit of coughing behind her. Edmund, who was looking over Crystalline's shoulder, paled and bolted past Crystalline to where James had collapsed, unconscious, on the dusty ground.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

 **Brotherly Protection**

"Edmund?"

Crystalline knew that the sound of her voice was definitely not welcome to the exhausted form of Edmund that was sprawled out on the bare wooden boards next to his bunk.

"Edmund!" Crystalline hissed. "Edmund, wake up!"

"What's the matter, Crystal?" Edmund, who was clearly not fully awake, sat up and gave her a glare that only a bone tired person would give. His brown eyes were bloodshot, and scattered around him were a number of crimson splattered rags Edmund had given to James to use as handkerchiefs. In the bunk next to him lay poor James, who had finally been able to fall sleep. Edmund had been up with James the whole night, and had just gotten to sleep a half an hour ago.

"It's time to wake up," Crystalline replied, casting Edmund a sympathetic look.

"Alright," Edmund sighed, rising to his feet. As he was going to leave, Crystalline stopped him.

"What about James?" She asked, beckoning to the sleeping form in the bunk.

"I'm taking his work load today, as well as mine. Let him rest. He was throwing up nearly all night, and I'm sure he'll be too sore to work," Edmund replied.

"You _can't_ do that!" Crystalline retorted, following Edmund out of the slave's quarters.

"Oh yes I _can_ , missy. Remember when I had received a beating a month ago, and I was too stiff to get up? If you recall, James took on my work load as well as his own. The Tarkaan doesn't care who _does_ the work, just as long as it _gets done_. And with King Peter staying here and studying the Tarkaan's every movement, I don't think that we'll have much of a problem."

The two then went on in silence, bound for the work board in the kitchen of the Great House. Crystalline, who was trotting next to Edmund, took the opportunity to study him further.

 _My, he is handsome._ Crystalline thought to herself. _Almost like how I imagine King Edmund to be._

Indeed, Edmund did look like a king. He always held his head high, and always kept his now long black hair tied at the base of his skull with a spare piece of cord that one of the seamstresses had given him. He held himself in a perfect posture, he was courteous to Crystalline and the other kitchen girls, and a King and Knight of Narnia out to be, and he was (when he wasn't exhausted and short on patience) eloquent in his wording.

"Will you be alright taking James' workload today, Edmund?" Crystalline asked.

"The sooner I get today over with, the better," Edmund muttered under his breath before more directly replying, "Yeah. I'll be fine, Crystal."

Crystalline smiled up at Edmund as he cast a half-hearted smirk in her direction.

Edmund had only been working for about six hours, and already his entire body ached. He surveyed the fields around him. He had already overturned about eleven rows of earth, and now other field workers were planting seeds in the overturned earth.

"I need to rest. I can't keep going on like this." Edmund muttered to himself as he shoved his hoe into the hard ground. Goodness, how many more months will he have to do this before he moved onto another duty?

"Edmund," Edmund heard a weak voice behind him. He turned. There stood James, weakly smiling.

"James! What in Narnia are you doing out of bed? You're too weak to do field work!" Edmund exclaimed.

"Edmund! What in Narnia are you doing taking on my work load as well as yours?" James mimicked Edmund as he reached over and snatched the hoe out of Edmund's hands.

"But—" Edmund protested.

"No buts, Edmund. I'm perfectly capable of working now," James replied, kindly but firmly. Edmund nodded. He was now just realizing how tired he was.

"I'll see you later then, James?" Edmund asked.

"Yes you will, Edmund. Where are you going?" James replied.

"I have to go to the orchards. I have to meet a six-bushels-of-citrus quota," Edmund replied.

"I'm sure you'll meet it," James replied, bringing his hoe to the ground as an overseer passed by.

Edmund gave James an appreciative smile before he turned on his heel and ran towards the orchards.

"Hey, boy!"

Edmund wearily looked up from where he had been resting in the fork of a large citrus tree. At the base of the tree rested three large bushels, piled high with oranges.

"Yes sir?" Edmund replied, trying his hardest to control his tone of voice, which insisted on sounding annoyed.

"Get to work!" The overseer replied. Edmund considered pointing out that he had already filled three bushels and half of a fourth, and that he had just stopped for a breather, but the sight of the long whip that the overseer was brandishing in his left hand made him think wiser. He didn't really feel like going to bed with open cuts on his back for what would feel like the millionth time that month.

"Yes sir," Edmund replied, sitting up in the fork of the tree.

"Get to it, then," The overseer snapped. He stayed where he was for a moment, making sure that Edmund started working again before he turned on his booted heel and stalked off. Edmund sighed and wearily watched the overseer's retreating back.

Edmund picked up his pace, and in fifteen minutes he had filled up his fourth bushel. Edmund sighed as she scampered up the next citrus tree that he had to pick citrus from. Finding a strong limb in the tree, Edmund sat astride on it before scanning the branches about him for ripe citrus. His pale hand reached finally out for a rather large orange. Grasping it, he pulled it off the branch to which it was attached before gently dropping it into the bushel on the ground below. Edmund plodded along slowly but surely, even though he was so tired that his vision was becoming blurry.

"Hey you!"

Edmund mentally groaned as he turned to see the same overseer that had bothered him twenty minutes before was now stalking towards the citrus tree that Edmund sat in, brandishing his whip as if to say "maybe this will make you stop slacking off."

"Yes sir?" Edmund replied, not trying to mask the impertinent tone in his voice. He was too exhausted to care what happened to him.

"Get down here!" The overseer bellowed angrily. At that moment, a small flame of anger began to build up in Edmund's chest. We all know the feeling; the annoyance and anger that makes your chest tight when people don't appreciate how hard you're trying to do something.

Edmund, instead of muttering a humble "yes sir" and commencing in shimmying down the tree trunk, merely ignored the overseer and picked another orange.

"Hey boy!" The overseer bellowed, his bloodshot eyes becoming enkindled with anger.

"What?!" Edmund snapped back, jerking his head down to cast a hate-filled glare at the overseer.

"I told you to get down!" The overseer replied, hissing like a venomous snake. Any other slave would have immediately complied, but Edmund stood his ground.

"No!" he replied.

Unfortunately, Edmund hadn't estimated how low the limb he was sitting in was, and so he couldn't help but let out a scream when the overseer grabbed his ankle in a death grip and violently yanked him out of the tree. Edmund's scream was short lived, however, because he landed hard on the ground seconds later.

"I'll teach you not to be impertinent with _me_ , little brat!" the overseer snapped, grabbing Edmund's wrist and yanking him to his feet. Poor Edmund then found himself being dragged through the orchards toward the place that he had been yanked many times before—namely, the stables. As the overseer and Edmund made their way out of the orchards and into the flat field that separated the orchards from the stables, they rapidly passed by Peter, who had been taking a walk around the orchards, looking for his little brother. Peter paused for a moment, slowly grasping what was happening. He then took off after the overseer and Edmund, calling after them,

"Good Sir, may I spare your time for but a moment?"

The overseer stopped and turned on his heel, Edmund's wrist still gripped tightly in his hand.

"Yes?" The overseer replied, before realizing who it was that was standing before him. "I mean, yes your majesty?" The overseer added quickly.

"What are you doing with that young lad there?" Peter asked, gesturing to Edmund.

"Teaching the little brat not to back talk to his masters," the overseer replied, glaring at Edmund.

"And what would you mean by the term 'teach,' sir?" Peter replied, quickly glancing at Edmund, concerned.

"Give him a sound lashing, your majesty," the overseer replied, cracking the whip in his hand for the sake of effect. Peter, who was good at thinking up quick answers in dire situations, returned,

"Is that the only punishment you give these slaves?"

The overseer, obviously puzzled, replied incredulously, "What do you mean?"

"Well…" Peter said, pretending to think for a moment, "Wouldn't it work once in a while not have them suffer a beating themselves, but have to _watch_ another be beaten because of what they have done?" Peter ignored the "but that's not just" look that Edmund cast at him before continuing, "Like if I would take a beating in his stead? I can tell he's a Narnian, and that's why you're having so much trouble with him. Narnians have lots of spirit, you see. If the lad were to see one of his _Kings_ beaten because of a minor thing _he's_ done, be assured that you won't catch him doing the same thing twice."

The overseer (who was a very easily convinced man) thought the option over for a moment before replying under his breath, "I guess that _would_ work…"

"I am certain it will," Peter interrupted.

"Too bad the Tarkaan would have my hide if he found out I did something like that," the overseer sighed.

"I won't tell him. I'll make absolutely _sure_ he never finds out," Peter replied, hoping that his almost instant response wouldn't make the overseer too suspicious.

"You'd do that?" the overseer replied.

"Of course I would," Peter replied, adding quickly, "Why don't we try it out? You'll be surprised by how quickly and effectively this procedure works."

"Alright, as long as you're keen on it, your majesty," The overseer said.

"Of course I'm keen on it," Peter returned, clapping the overseer on the back.

The overseer then led Peter and Edmund into the musty darkness of the stables. Edmund was then dumped in a pile of straw while Peter took off his velvet tunic, revealing his bare torso. Edmund could see some scars on Peter's muscular abs, scars from battle that he himself had tended to. He couldn't let Peter do this for him. He just couldn't. It was _completely_ unjust!

"Please, King Peter!" Edmund called, remembering to address his brother formally, "Please, I'll take my own beating! I'll be good! I promise I will!"

Peter, who had hung his tunic on a hook on the stable wall, ignored Edmund's pleas by saying to the overseer, "See? It's working already."

"Yes," The overseer agreed, almost amazed. Or maybe it was just the flask of wine he had drunk before starting his work that morning getting to him.

" _King Peter!_ " Edmund's whined desperately as Peter braced himself against the railing of a stall.

" **Shut up!** " The overseer bellowed. Edmund was immediately silent. He didn't want to make it worse for Peter, who would most likely insist on taking every lash that Edmund would have normally gotten.

"Just ignore him, friend," Peter said to the overseer over his shoulder. He cringed at having to call an overseer who would have hurt his little brother "friend," but if it kept Edmund from harm, them he'd willingly do it.

"Are you ready?" The overseer asked, suddenly becoming shy of the task he would have normally begun violently.

"Whenever you are," Peter replied. Only Edmund could hear the impatience in his elder brother's voice.

The overseer replied by bringing his arm back and swinging it forward, the whip following.

 _CRACK!_

Edmund winced as Peter cringed, gripping onto the railing and screwing his eyes shut. _Oh Aslan,_ Peter silently prayed, _don't let me cry out…_

 _CRACK!_

Peter's prayers were interrupted by another stroke, this one harder than the last. Edmund, from his vantage point in the pile of hay behind Peter, saw the blood beginning to flow from the long, straight wound that had been laid on his back.

 _CRACK!_

Peter gritted his teeth. Already, his knees were shaking violently. Behind him, Edmund was trembling, and hot tears were burning in his eyes.

 _CRACK!_

 _How can Edmund take this on almost a regular basis?_ Peter thought. He was only four lashes into the beating and already he felt like toppling over.

 _CRACK!_

 _Oh Aslan, make it stop!_ Edmund pleaded with the Great Lion as Peter cringed again. His knuckles were white from gripping the stall railing so hard.

 _CRACK!_

Whether it was the answer to Edmund's prayer or not, Peter's knees finally collapsed underneath him, and he collapsed on the ground. His stomach did a turn as he felt small streams of blood trickling down his back.

"Are you alright, King Peter?" The overseer asked. It was the first time that Edmund had ever heard him use a concerned tone of voice.

"I'm alright. Is that as many lashes as you usually give him?" Peter replied, pulling himself up and trying not to hiss as the wounds burned.

"Yes," The overseer replied before adding, "I'll get someone to tend to those wounds…"

"No," Peter replied, gesturing to Edmund, "have the lad do it. Treating the wounds will engrain the image in his mind, and ensure he doesn't misbehave again."

The overseer nodded before turning to Edmund and snapping, "Get to it, then!"

"Yes sir," Edmund replied meekly, instantly getting to his feet to help Peter. As soon as they were out of the stables,

"Why on Earth did you pull a stunt like that, Pete?" Edmund asked, almost angrily.

"I know you find it unjust, Edmund," Peter replied in a lecturing tone, "but I couldn't stand to stand by and watch while my little brother gets hurt. Call it selfishness, if you like."

"How could you stand a beating like that?" Edmund asked, flinching as Peter hissed in pain. "That overseer seems to take enjoyment in beating a person as hard as he can."

"I'll tell you that when we get to the cabin, Ed. There's something important I want to discuss with you, though," Peter replied.

"What's that?"

" _S-h-h-h_. Not out here," Peter whispered, wildly looking about them to make sure no one was around before adding in a lower tone of voice than Edmund thought possible, "It's about how to get you out of here."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

 **The Idea**

Peter and Edmund walked on in silence, focusing on getting to Peter's guesthouse as quickly as physically possible. As they walked, both brothers minds raced with different thoughts, Peter's with the idea that he was about to propose to Edmund, and Edmund's with what Peter was to say to him.

When they arrived at the guesthouse, Peter ordered a centaur to guard the door, making sure no one interrupted them.

"Now…" Peter began after the door had been closed and locked behind them. He rubbed his hands together nervously.

"Lay face down," Edmund instructed, pointing to the bed behind Peter.

"Not now, Ed," Peter sighed, "I feel fine now."

"You won't feel fine _tomorrow_ when your back is swollen," Edmund replied, firmly but kindly, as he sat Peter down on the bed.

"Can I at least talk to you while you're taking care of me?" Peter compromised, casting Edmund a surrendering look.

"Of course," Edmund replied with a smile, dashing across the room to grab a pitcher of water that rested on a nightstand nearby. Peter sighed and lay face down on his bed, wincing as his wounds, in a sense, were set afire.

"So how do you plan to get me out of here?" Edmund asked as he came back with the pitcher of water. On the way back, he had grabbed some bandages and salve that a physician for the Narnian party had set out beforehand.

"I was reading a Calormene law book last night, and I found something that I think will work in our favor," Peter replied, his voice quavering with both pain and excitement.

"What did you find?" Edmund asked. Peter clearly heard the confusion in his little brother's voice.

"I found a rule that the Tisroc had put into place a few years ago," Peter began, "It states that as long as a slave is in the possession of his master, he is a slave—"

"Obviously," Edmund interrupted, cleaning the blood off of Peter's back with a damp rag.

"Well," Peter continued through clenched teeth as the wet cloth caused his wounds to sting, "if the slave were to escape, the master has a right to go after him. _But_ , if the slave has already crossed over the border of a free country, such as Archenland or Narnia, the master has no more power over the former slave, for he is already considered a free man."

"So that means if I were to escape and not be caught, the moment I cross over the border to Archenland, I would be free?" Edmund asked his voice touched with a tone of disbelief.

"Yes," Peter replied, swiveling his head around to grin at Edmund. "What do you think?"

"It sounds workable," Edmund replied slowly, "But the trick is _not_ to get caught. And that would require a lot of planning."

Peter quirked his eyebrow in confusion. "Why?"

Edmund, finished with cleaning the blood off of his brother's back, squeezed the rag in his hands over a bowl so that the blood-colored water dripped into it. "The Tarkaan owns _dogs,_ Peter. Very fast and strong ones at that, with the best sense of smell a dog can have. Besides, the stretch of land that runs from the slave's quarters to the gate of the plantation is completely flat, making it easy for me to be spotted by the overseers who guard the plantation at night. It's a very risky plan."

Peter sighed. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

"Wait a moment," Edmund said, an idea slowly coming to him, "I could take the long way out, exiting by the old gate at the far end of the orchards. The gate's facing north, anyway. The only problem is that I've only found the gate once, by accident. It's covered with ivy, as is most of the wall around it; and I don't think I could find it again, let alone in the dark."

Peter thought for a moment before replying, "Do you know anyone who knows about the gate?"

"Of course!" Edmund replied, "How could I not have remembered? Crystalline knows about the gate. James told her about it about a few months ago when she asked what it was."

"Do you think you would be able to escape that way, then?" Peter asked, hope coming back to him.

"Yes, if I take Crystalline with me…" Edmund's voice trailed off. What was he saying? Take Crystalline with him? The only way he could _possibly_ convince her to do something so dangerous as to help him escape would be to tell her that he was King Edmund of Narnia. No doubt she would do anything for her beloved King Edmund. But what is she didn't believe him? He could always ask James, who had lived at the plantation since he was very young, but James was highly allergic to the night air, and neither of them could risk James coughing and attracting the attention of one of the overseers. No, Crystalline was the only one who could help him.

"Is something wrong, Ed?" Peter asked, looking back over his shoulder as he felt Edmund go motionless.

"Crystalline," Edmund moaned, instantly picking up the jar of salve and taking some onto his fingers, rubbing it on one of Peter's wounds.

"What about her?" Peter asked, confused. "She's seems nice enough."

"You don't understand," Edmund replied. "Crystalline told me a while ago that King Edmund of Narnia is her hope."

"You're her hope? What do you mean by that?" Peter asked.

"For being freed. She's under the illusion that I could snap my fingers and she would be free." Edmund sighed before continuing, "The only way I would be able to persuade her to show me the gate at night would be to tell her who I am. If she doesn't believe me, she won't help. And if by some miracle I find the gate by myself and escape, leaving her on the plantation, well…"

"How about you take her with you, Ed?" Peter asked. "You're her _hope,_ after all."

"I guess that's the only way," Edmund replied with a sigh.

"You _guess?_ " Peter asked Edmund in a shocked tone. His little brother, Edmund the Just, was _hesitating_ to free a slave girl?

"Is she _that_ bad, Ed?"

"No," Edmund admitted, "But I wonder what she'll think of me when I tell her who I am. She's just now warmed up to me generally coming from Narnia, but how will she act toward me when I blind her with the royalty factor? Will she be mad at me for not telling her sooner?"

Peter smiled sympathetically up at Edmund. Stiffly sitting up, he put his hand on Edmund's shoulder.

"You'll find, Ed, that sometimes the hardest things you can do in life are the right ones," he said, looking into Edmund's eyes. Edmund knew that Peter was right. In that moment, he was Edmund the Just once more.

Edmund walked into the slave's quarters that evening, exhausted but hopeful. After treating Peter's wounds, he and Edmund had agreed that the day after next Edmund would come to Peter's guest house on some small errand, and they would plan out Edmund's escape (and Crystalline's as well, if she cooperated with the plan). In the meantime, it was Edmund's job to reveal to Crystalline who he truly was, thus finding out whether she would help or not.

Edmund sat down in his bunk with a sigh. Judging by the vacant bunk across from his, Crystalline was held up with her duties in the kitchen. He briefly wondered how he was going to start a conversation with Crystalline that would lead to telling her who he was. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone tumbling toward him. Edmund looked up.

"James?" He asked, for it was indeed James who was slowly stumbling to the bunks, taking deep breaths as he went. Edmund instantly got up and helped James to his bunk.

"What's the matter?" Edmund asked.

"I—can't breathe too well," James gasped.

"Is there anything else that ails you?" Edmund asked, going through the description of every ailment he could think of. He still thought of nothing. James must have some mysterious disease that no one had heard of. Unless…

"No," James squeaked.

 _Oh Aslan,_ Edmund silently prayed, _don't let it be that illness that one of our soldiers had a few years ago…_ Edmund's mind flew back to when a soldier who had breathing problems died while he and the other guards in the Narnian party were traveling with Edmund and Peter while the two kings were patrolling the Northern Mountains. The soldier had suffered from almost the same symptoms as James was suffering from now.

 _Do not be sad or frightened, Edmund._ Edmund heard Aslan's reply, gentle and soft. _What you are thinking is correct. Tell James and Crystalline what is happening, so they will be ready for what is to come._

 _Crystalline?_ Edmund thought confusedly. _Crystalline isn't here yet…_

"What's going on?" Edmund understood Aslan's words when he heard Crystalline's voice behind him.

"James is gravely ill, Crystal," Edmund replied quietly, slowly turning to look up at her, gathering his words together; preparing to relay the verdict.

"I'm sure he'll be alright in a few days. He always is," Crystalline said, nonchalantly untying her apron.

"No, Crystal," Edmund replied sadly, turning to lock eyes with James, who was giving Edmund a reassuring look.

"What do you mean, Edmund?" Crystalline asked, her voice just now taking on a tone of concern.

"James is _gravely ill_. If he is suffering from the illness I think he has, his time on the plantation is short," Edmund replied in a quavering voice. He closed his eyes and solemnly bowed his head to keep the both Crystalline and James from seeing the tears that burned his eyes.

Edmund looked up only when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. There was James, kneeling down on the wooden floor in front of Edmund, his green eyes holding an assuring look of comfort and a sparkle of hope.

"It's alright, Edmund," James said quietly, wisely. "If Aslan wants me in his country, I'll go there. I've fought bravely for Narnia my whole life, even if I was enslaved, and now I need a rest."

"James," Edmund breathed, suddenly moving forward to hug James. He felt like a little child saying goodbye to his elder brother as he left for war. James had always been a friend to him, almost like Peter. Now that Edmund was faced with the reality that James would not live for long, it felt like he was being separated from Peter all over again.

Crystalline, who was standing not even a foot away from the two, felt tears come to her eyes as well. It was so sad that James would only be free from the clutches of slavery by death.

"It's alright, Edmund," James soothed, gently clapping Edmund on the back and pulling away to look him in the eyes, "You've done all you can for me, and taken care of me. That's much more than a chap in my state of life could ask for."

Edmund looked down at the bare wooden floor he knelt on. "I haven't done all I can. All I could have done…" Edmund's voice trailed off as he thought of all he could have done to prohibit slavery in all the lands surrounding Narnia. All he could have done to free these kind-hearted slaves like James…

"Listen to me," James said, firmly grabbing Edmund by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes once more, "You cannot change what Aslan wants done. Aslan has his reasons for everything, and we just have to trust him. And who's to say that I'm going to die any time soon? Don't carry on like this until you have a _reason_ for it, Edmund."

Edmund nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes. James smiled, sparkle returning to his eyes as he got up and helped Edmund into his bunk.

"Now, you need to rest. You were up with me all night last night, and I heard you lost your temper in the orchards today. The best thing for you now is sleep."

"But…" Edmund protested. He was going to say, "But I need to tell Crystal something." Thankfully, he stopped himself in time. He couldn't do it tonight. He'd tell her tomorrow…

"No buts," James replied firmly, and gently pushing Edmund down so that he was lying down on the bed. Edmund nodded and relaxed.

"Alright James, you win," Edmund chuckled.

"And don't let me catch you getting up in the night to help me unless I need it," James instructed as he climbed into his bunk.

"I won't," Edmund promised. As the light from the sunset faded and the slave's quarters grew dark, Edmund didn't hear Crystalline settle down into her bunk. He didn't feel her crystal eyes watching his shoulders shake as he shed the dejected tears that he wouldn't let anyone see. And he certainly didn't know that as she lay in bed, she was wondering who he truly was.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

 **"** **I am King"**

Edmund hardly remembered when he fell asleep. All he remembered was that everything went black, and then he felt gentle yet frantic hands shaking him what felt like moments later.

"Ugh! What is it _now?_ " Edmund moaned, rolling over to face whoever was shaking him.

"It's time to wake up, Edmund," Crystalline's voice sounded softer than he had ever heard it before. Goodness! What was with this girl and her changes in mood?

"Alright, I'll be up in a minute," Edmund replied, rolling over again. He sighed when he felt Crystalline gripping his arm.

"You don't _have_ a minute, Edmund," Crystalline replied, firmly this time. Edmund turned his head to squint up at her. He would have looked at her straight, but there was sunlight in his eyes. Squint because of sunlight? Edmund was fully awake now. Sitting bolt upright in bed, he starred in horror at the one small window in the wall, and the mid afternoon sun that poured through it.

"What time is it?" Edmund asked, almost too afraid to hear the answer.

"Almost noon," Crystalline replied.

" _What?!_ " Edmund jumped out of bed, quickly nodding to Crystalline and racing past her, out the door of the slave's quarters. _Oh Aslan!_ What would his punishment be for oversleeping?

A little ways behind, Crystalline dashed after Edmund, hiking the skirt of her dress every few steps. Her raven hair was flying in the wind, resembling the mane of a wild horse

"Wait, Edmund!" Crystalline called after Edmund's rapidly retreating back. She had followed him a long distance, and now she was falling farther and farther behind.

"I don't have time to wait, Crystal!" Edmund replied, stopping long enough to turn and face her. "I'm in enough trouble as it is!"

"No you're not!" Crystalline called back, hiking her skirt once more and racing up to Edmund.

"What do you mean?" Edmund asked, a dark eyebrow raised.

"I mean that you're not going to be in trouble for sleeping late," Crystalline replied, letting the hem of her skirt fall to its proper place just above her ankles. "James took over your workload. He said not to wake you, but I knew you'd be angry enough when you woke up and found James did a day's work for you, so I came and woke you."

Edmund groaned and put his head in his hands. "Why?"

"I just told you," Crystalline replied.

"No. Why did James take my work load?"

"Oh. Well, he wanted to do the same thing you did for him."

"But there's a _difference_ between being healthy and taking over a sick person's work load and being ill and taking over a healthy person's work load! Why didn't anyone stop him? Or at least tell him that he's gravely ill and he needs rest!"

Crystalline's eyebrow quirked. Edmund sounded like a physician.

"How do you know that he's not going to get better?" Crystalline asked. Edmund read her suspicious glance like a book.

"I'll tell you later, Crystal," He sighed, and turned back to the road that lead to the fields to find James.

"Tell me what?" Crystalline asked, trotting after him.

"I can't tell you now," Edmund replied, trying to keep from rolling his eyes.

"Why can't you tell me now?" Crystalline asked, equally annoyed. She hated having to wait to hear news.

"Because," Edmund sighed, stopping short, "It's too complicated to summarize. Meet me at that citrus tree after your duties; and I'll tell you," Edmund said finally, pointing to a small, forked citrus tree that was standing about four yards behind Crystalline, beside the main path from the slave's quarters to the Great House.

"Alright," Crystalline compromised, nodding. Edmund smiled at her and nodded in her direction.

"See you later," He said, relief flooding his voice. Crystalline blushed as she saw him turn and walk away. That smile… it worked magic on her.

It would not be at all interesting to tell you how the rest of the day was spent by Edmund and Crystalline, for in truth, it was spent in exactly the same way as many other days had been. Edmund worked in the fields, overturning earth, gently scolding James for taking on his work load the moment he saw him. Crystalline spent her day in the hot and noisy kitchens, preparing food, washing dishes, and scrubbing floors. The whole day long, both were thinking of their rendezvous after their duties. And so it was in excitement that Crystalline hurried out of the Great House that evening after supper (which is not much worth talking about, for the slave's supper usually consisted on dry bread and water) bound for the forked citrus tree.

Edmund however, was not particularly excited about his meeting with Crystalline. And so this was why he was lagging behind James the whole way back to the slave's quarters.

"Edmund, are you coming or not?" James asked, eying Edmund concernedly.

"I'm just…" Edmund tried to think up a plausible excuse as to why he looked like he expected to get beaten up at any moment.

"You're just what?" James asked, turning fully around and placing his hands on his hips.

"I have to talk to Crystalline," Edmund finally admitted, gesturing to the forked tree in the distance, where he could see a small figure standing by it, "and I don't think she'll like what I have to tell her."

James quirked his eyebrow. "It's not about me, is it?"

"No," Edmund admitted before adding, "It's just about Narnia. I have to correct her on something."

James smiled warmly. "Ah. So you expect her to get mad?"

Edmund nodded. "That's the gist of it."

James chuckled and grabbed Edmund by the arm, pulling him along down the path. "I'm sure that it won't be _that_ bad."

"Probably not," Edmund admitted, to which James replied with a smile.

When James and Edmund had made it to the forked tree, James nodded to Edmund and walked on in the direction of the slave's quarters. Edmund looked up. There was Crystalline, sitting in the fork of the tree.

"Hello, Crystal," Edmund said politely with a nod, acknowledging her presence. "Did you have a good day?"

Crystalline nodded. "I did, thank you. Did you?"

Edmund smiled and nodded in return. "Yes, I did as well."

"Good," Crystalline replied, trying to slide out of the fork in the tree without her skirt going up. When she found that she could not get out of the tree without looking indecent, she stayed where she was, casting Edmund a helpless look. Edmund chuckled.

"Not so easy to get down, now is it?" He said, stepping over to the tree.

"Um…no," Crystalline admitted, her cheeks flushing scarlet.

"Here; let me help you," Edmund said, holding his arms out to her. "Put your arms about my neck, milady."

Crystalline did as she was told. She then found herself hoisted out of the tree my Edmund. When she was safely on the ground, she was flustered to say the least.

"Thank you," She said quietly.

"You're quite welcome," Edmund answered brightly. His brown eyes were still sparkling with amusement.

"Didn't you want to tell me something?" Crystalline asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yes, I did," Edmund replied, his features tensing slightly. His face took on a grave look as he held his arm out to her. Crystalline was puzzled. He had never done this before. After taking a moment to comprehend what Edmund wanted her to do, she blushed again and took his muscular arm. As they walked down the dusty path to the slave's quarters,

"What did you want to tell me?" Crystalline asked.

"Well," Edmund began in an apprehensive tone, "this might sound a bit impossible…"

"What?"

"Crystalline," Edmund sighed. He stopped walking and turned to face her. Crystalline could see the importance of what Edmund was about to say in his brown eyes, which were gazing into hers.

"Yes?" Crystalline asked, raising her eyebrow incredulously.

"I am King Edmund of Narnia," Edmund replied bluntly, giving Crystalline a pleading look, silently imploring her to believe his words.

"What?" Crystalline gasped, reeling backwards as if she had been slapped. Shock flooded her mind, and her heart began to beat wildly in her chest.

" _I_ am King Edmund, and have been this whole time. High King Peter is my brother, and he came to Zalindreh looking for _me._ _I_ am the person you hoped in to bring about your freedom," Edmund replied, smiling kindly at Crystalline. He thought that she believed him, and for a few seconds, she did.

"What kind of fool do you take me for, Edmund?" Crystalline snapped when she had words to speak, giving Edmund a fierce glare.

"What?" It was Edmund's turn to be shocked. "I haven't taken you for a fool at all!"

" _No_ ," Crystalline replied sarcastically, "You just lied to me, that's all!"

Edmund quickly got over his shock as he began to comprehend Crystalline's sudden outburst of anger. "How do you know that I lied to you?" He asked, gravely looking into Crystalline's eyes, "how can you prove it?"

Crystalline was momentarily silenced by Edmund's answer, so he took advantage of the silence by continuing, "And put the facts together, Crystalline. I know how to sword fight, and used my skills at the market in Tashbaan to defend you. Whether you see it or not, I am a just person, and I think you might have noticed by now that I act like a Narnian king—sacrifice before self. By the mane, woman! Just my name _alone_ should make you believe me!"

"Yes," Crystalline replied thoughtfully, "But how can _you_ prove that you're king of Narnia?"

"How about you ask King Peter?" Edmund asked dryly. "He knows the truth."

"No," Crystalline replied, "I refuse to make a fool of myself. No, I want proof from _you,_ Edmund."

"Go ahead, then," Edmund replied calmly, "ask me for proof."

At Edmund's calm demeanor, Crystalline almost let herself believe him, and would have called it off, had she not thought better of her impulse. She thought for a moment. "What about the Battle of Beruna?"

"Yes, I was mortally wounded towards the end of it. What do you want to know?"

"About the wound you received," Crystalline replied, "The White Witch's wand was said to have left a star-shaped scar on your right side, between your ribs. If you really are King Edmund, you would still bear that scar."

Edmund smirked, his brown eyes twinkling with excitement. Thank Aslan she had asked for something so easy for him to prove! Pulling off his tattered and dusty muslin tunic, he pointed to the black and blue scar on his right side that slightly resembled a star.

"There is your proof, Crystalline. Do you believe me now?" Edmund asked gravely. Crystalline only stared at the scar, her crystal eyes wide.

"K-King Edmund?" she finally replied in a whisper that could barely be heard. She looked into Edmund's brown eyes, eyes that she now spotted wisdom and experience in.

"So you finally believe me?" Edmund asked gently, smiling. He breathed a sigh of relief when Crystalline slowly nodded.

Crystalline suddenly came back to life when the memories of how she had previously treated Edmund flooded her mind. "Oh King Edmund!" she said sorrowfully, getting onto her knees, "please forgive me for how I treated you! I didn't know, and I thought—"

Crystalline was silenced when Edmund smiled kindly and helped her back to her feet, saying as he did so, " _S-h-h._ Do not apologize, Crystal. I'd rather you treated me as you did previous and believe me now than know who I was from the day we met and possibly put Narnia in danger."

Crystalline gave Edmund an incredulous look. "Danger?"

"Yes," Edmund sighed, "If the Tisroc found out that I was a slave in Calormen, and that King Peter had gone to look for me, and wouldn't be back for some months, and that only Queen Susan and Queen Lucy (who, though they are very capable of fighting off invaders, would probably not be able to handle a Calormene army) were left guarding Narnia as a whole, then I am sure that he would send a large army to Cair Paravel with the intention of conquering Narnia and enslaving it's people."

"Oh, that's awful," Crystalline replied, not knowing what else to say in response to such a proposal.

"That is why I need you to promise me something, Crystal," Edmund said, looking Crystalline in the eye.

"What is that, King Edmund? I will promise you anything!" Crystalline replied enthusiastically.

"I want you to promise me that you will treat me as you would normally. Don't treat me as anything other than a fellow slave."

Crystalline nodded. "I promise King Edmund—I mean, _Edmund._ " She grinned.

"Good," Edmund grinned back. He held his arm out to Crystalline, and she took it, still beaming. Together, they walked back to the slave's quarters, back to life.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

 **A Sad Demise**

The slave's quarters were relatively quiet that night. The wind gently blew outside of the quarters, rustling the green leaves of the citrus trees. Suddenly, the wind stopped. Everything was still. Slowly, a milky white, ghostly figure appeared in the orchards. The wind picked up again, circling the figure. The figure began to walk in the direction of the slave's quarters. He let out a whisper that was carried on the wind, into the slave's quarters:

" _Edmund… Edmund…_ "

Edmund, who was fast asleep in his bunk, felt the cool breeze blow over him and caress his cheeks. His eyelids cracked open for a brief second, but he closed them again because he was having double vision.

" _Edmund… Edmund…_ "

This time the voice was closer. Edmund opened his eyes, this time keeping them open. He stiffly sat up in bed, looking around the slave's quarters. No one was there. He was about to lay back down again when he heard a violent cough come from the bunk above him. James.

Edmund instantly sprung into action. He got out of bed, whirled around and swung himself up into the bunk. Sure enough, there was James, curled up in a fetal position and coughing violently.

"James? Are you alright?" Edmund asked. James, who was facing him, gave Edmund a helpless look as he continued coughing. Edmund's heart skipped a beat as James, still coughing, shook his head no.

"Hold on, James!" Edmund whispered, and with some struggle, he lifted James out of the bunk and laid him on the floor next to his bunk. James' coughing momentarily died down and he was left gasping for breath.

"E-Ed-mund," James gasped, "W-window," he gestured with a shaking hand to the window on the other side of the room, moonlight spilling through it.

"Do you want me to take you there?" Edmund asked, not fully understanding James' request. James nodded. Edmund nodded back and scooped James into his arms once more, staggering over to the widow. He then laid James on the floor under the window, resting his friend's head in his (Edmund's) lap. James was still gasping.

Edmund stared into James' face, which was drawn and pale as a linen sheet. James had his eyes shut, and his mouth was open in desperate attempt to catch his breath. James' eyes suddenly popped open and he instantly sat up, violently coughing. When he was finished, he weakly fell back down again, his whole body shivering. Edmund cringed when he saw that James' hand, which he had used to cover his mouth while coughing, was stained with crimson blood. James opened his eyes again, this time to look up at Edmund. His open mouth transformed into a weak smile.

"Sorry—to be causing you—so much trouble…" he squeaked out.

"Don't you even _think_ about apologizing, James. That's what I'm here for," Edmund replied gently. He used the sleeve of his tunic to wipe the perspiration off of James' forehead.

"You're not here to expressly take care of me, you know," James responded.

"That's what Aslan made me your bunkmate for, then," Edmund replied. James chuckled weakly.

"Still…" he said, taking a deep sigh, glancing out the window. His gaze froze. Edmund looked out the window, too, but saw nothing.

"What is it, James?" He asked.

"A-Aslan," James replied, in such a soft, shocked whisper that Edmund could barely hear it.

"Aslan…?" Edmund asked, looking up at the window again. "Where is he?"

"He's looking in the window, looking at us," James replied, his voice still in a whisper. "Edmund, he's so beautiful…"

Edmund looked up at the window again. This time, he saw the face of the Great Lion, milky white in the moonlight, peering in at them through the glass window. Aslan locked eyes with Edmund, momentarily casting him a sad, sympathetic look, before glancing back at James with loving joy.

"Oh Aslan," James breathed again when he saw the Great Lion's loving, penetrating eyes meet his, "Have you come for me?"

Edmund's heart skipped a beat when Aslan smiled and nodded a yes. He was even more unnerved when the lion spoke to him, his voice echoing in his mind like a voice in a large cavern, " _do_ _not be dismayed, Edmund, for this must be._ "

Edmund nodded and looked back down at James, whose face was no longer filled with pain, but with pure joy. Edmund gave a start when he suddenly saw Aslan standing beside them, watching.

"Be at peace, James my son," Aslan said gently, breathing on James' pale face. Edmund's mind was suddenly filled with hope that Aslan was healing James, but a sad look from Aslan cast in his direction dispelled all hope of James living past this night.

Edmund looked down when he felt James' hand take his. The two men locked eyes, silently exchanging unspoken messages of thanks and friendship. With a smile, James then looked back to Aslan, tears filling his green eyes as Aslan padded over to him. The Great Lion gave James a kiss with his sandy pink tongue, before breathing on James a final time. The breath Aslan blew on James was long, and as Aslan's breath encircled him, he closed his eyes, taking a deep, contented sigh, which he hadn't done in months.

Slowly, James' grip on Edmund's hand loosened…

Steadily, his hand began to grow heavier…

Suddenly, his hand slipped from Edmund's and fell to the wooden floor with a soft _thud_.

James, the one who had woken Edmund up on his first day at the plantation, who had helped him through this exile in Calormen thus far, was gone.

As suddenly as Aslan had appeared, he disappeared, taking James with him to his country beyond the eastern sea.

Edmund starred at James' lifeless body, not noticing that Aslan had gone, his mind not fully grasping what had just happened. James' face looked so peaceful; Edmund could have sworn that he was sleeping.

"James?" he whispered in vain, though he knew there would be no response.

"Oh, James," Edmund moaned as if in pain, tears blurring his vision. He bent over and put his face in his hands, and began to quietly sob. Edmund the Just, the once great king of Narnia, now reduced to a slave, had not only lost a fellow noble warrior, but a faithful friend.

Crystalline yawned and stretched. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up in her bunk, glancing over to Edmund's bunk to see if he was awake yet. To her surprise, Edmund's bunk was vacant. She glanced up at James' bunk. His bunk was empty, too.

 _I wonder where they are?_ Crystalline thought to herself as she stood and grabbed her apron, tying it behind her back before walking to the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two figures lying on the floor to her right, under the window. She turned. There lay James and Edmund, fast asleep. Crystalline quirked an eyebrow. Why would they be sleeping there?

Slowly, she walked over to them. She saw that Edmund was lying in almost a fetal position, his head resting on the wooden floor, near James' head. James' face was peaceful, but Crystalline wasn't fooled. He was lying perfectly still and his skin was an ashen gray.

"James!" she cried, running over to them. At her shout, Edmund and a few of the other slaves sleeping in bunks nearby started.

"Edmund! What happened?!" Crystalline cried again, distressed. She saw by the look in Edmund's red, tearstained eyes that he knew full well what had happened.

"James passed away last night, Crystal," He replied quietly. Crystalline felt like screaming like a madwoman. What would they do? They couldn't just very well bury him without telling the Tarkaan. But what would the Tarkaan do with James?

"What are we going to do?" Crystalline asked, almost panicking. She had never handled a death on a plantation before. For her, this was a predicament that she had only heard about, but never actually went through.

"Someone has to tell the Tarkaan," A field slave, Mark, said quietly. By now all the other slaves were awake and were slowly grouping around James, Edmund, and Crystalline.

"What will they do with James' body?" Edmund asked, slowly folding James' hands on his still chest.

"I don't know," Mark replied, still more quietly. "Usually, we tell the Tarkaan that someone's died and we never see their bodies again."

"You mean that the overseers bury them in some field somewhere?" Crystalline asked.

"No." Mark replied grimly.

"You mean they go unburied?" Edmund asked, an angry look forming on his tired face.

"Probably," Mark replied. "That, or they feed 'em to the dogs."

"We can't let that happen with James!" Crystalline cried, utterly horrified.

"Try telling that to the _Tarkaan_ , girl," Mark said, casting Crystalline a glare.

"I'm certainly not going try to tell the Tarkaan _anything_ ," said one kitchen girl. The other slaves murmured in agreement.

"You mean you're just going to let the Tarkaan treat you like animals?" Edmund asked, suddenly standing up, with a look of determination on his face, "Let him work you like pack horses until you all die, one by one?"

The slaves stood starring at Edmund, completely silent.

"Well, I'm not going to stand it any longer. If I can't be freed from this place, I'll at least see to it that my friend and fellow slave has a grave in which to rest in peace." And without another word, he stormed out of the slave's quarters.

"Wait, Edmund!" Crystalline cried, running after him, "What are we going to do with James in the meantime?"

"Let him alone." Edmund replied, turning to face Crystalline. "I'll be back shortly."

Edmund was too angry to be nervous as he stormed down the halls of the Great House, led by one of the cleaning slaves, who cleaned the house every day. The cleaning slave paused in front of a mahogany door, before she softly rapped on it.

"What is it?" The Tarkaan's voice sounded gruffly from inside.

"One of the field slaves would like a word with you, sir," the cleaning slave replied, looking apprehensive.

"What does he want?" The Tarkaan replied.

"He says it's about another slave, sir," she replied, "he says it's very important."

"Alright, then. Show him in," The Tarkaan replied.

"Yes, sir," the cleaning slave replied, opening the door and showing Edmund in the room before closing the door behind them.

"Yes? What is it?" The Tarkaan snapped. Edmund, who was careful to look at the floor and have a neutral look on his face, replied respectfully,

"One of the other slaves died last night, sir. James."

The Tarkaan jerked his head in a nod. "That's it?"

Edmund, who was shocked at the Tarkaan not being at all moved by news of James' death, replied in the same tone, "No, sir."

"What else, then?"

"We wanted to know if we had your permission to bury him, sir."

"'We'?"

"The other slaves and myself, sir."

"Ah. And you think I _care_ whether he's buried or not, boy?"

"No, sir."

"Ah. So you knew coming into this room that you were going to fail anyway?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you knew right. I say no."

"But, sir…"

" _What?_ "

"Could you please relent, just this once?"

"And why would I do that? It's bad enough that I have to find a replacement for him."

"Because… because I'll take his work load."

"You would _what?_ "

"I'll take on his work load," Edmund repeated more confidently this time, taking a deep breath. Would _this_ convince the heartless Tarkaan to let them bury James? _This is absolutely ludicrous,_ Edmund thought angrily. _All this, just to give James a right that shouldn't be denied to any man!_ Just the mere thought made him furious, and his just anger gave him courage to boldly face the Tarkaan.

The Tarkaan was silent for a moment, thinking. Finally, he looked up at Edmund, who was starring at the floor.

"Look me in the eye, boy." The Tarkaan said.

"Yes sir," Edmund replied, looking up and letting his gaze meet the Tarkaan's. The Tarkaan saw the tears that were welling in Edmund's red eyes. As if Aslan had blown out the flame of a candle, the Tarkaan's anger was momentarily extinguished by Edmund's forlorn look. That look that was full of so much sadness and despair!

"Alright, boy. You can use the land by the old ivy-covered wall. I'll give you all an hour to bury him. But I want all of you to be at work as soon as the hour is up. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Edmund replied, letting his gaze fall to the floor again as he bowed and turned, exiting the room. The Tarkaan couldn't help but see the scars on his pale back.

 _Thank you, Aslan!_ Edmund prayed, tears now rolling down his cheeks as he left the Great House, _Thank you!_

Not even fifteen minutes later, a small procession of slaves made their way through the morning mist to the ivy covered wall in the old orchards, Crystalline at their head. Behind her, Edmund and a few other young men were carrying James, who they were able to wrap in some old cloth that had once covered the straw mattress in James' bunk. Everyone else followed behind. Edmund looked around him. The old orchards were a wild place. It was overgrown, nettles growing in places, ivy climbing up the trunks of large citrus trees. Crystalline lead on; finally stopping by the old brick wall that was covered in ivy. Along the wall there was a large patch of open land, perfect for a grave. Edmund and the others lay James down on the ground at Crystalline's feet, and each took up some old shovels that they had retrieved from the stables. For ten minutes, all that could be heard in the silent orchards was the sound of metal scraping on earth.

Silence reigned once more as Edmund and a few others scrambled out of the grave they had dug. They then took James and gently lowered him into the grave, standing in silence for a moment.

"Well?" Crystalline broke the silence, tears heard in her voice, "Will anyone say anything?"

"I will," Edmund replied when no one responded. Everyone looked to him.

"James was a slave. Yes, we all know this. But he wan't bitter about it. Nay, friends, he was the opposite of bitter. He tried to be a friend to everyone, taking on other's work, and comforting them. Well, James wouldn't want me to go on and on about him, so let me just say this: if we all tried act like James, the plantation would be a different place. Let's not grieve for James, either. He's already enjoying his well-deserved freedom in Aslan's country."

There was silence for a moment. Then, Crystalline's voice cut through the still air, "Here here."

"Here here," Mark echoed.

"Here here," said a kitchen girl.

"Here here," Said another field slave.

Slowly, all the others softly replied the same. When silence reigned again,

"Now," Edmund's voice was filled with intense emotion, "Let James rest in peace."

The slaves who had shovels in their hands instantly got to work filling the grave with the rich, sweet smelling soil. Edmund and Crystalline stood side by side, sadly watching the dirt cover the cloth swathed body of James.

"Rest well, my friend," Edmund said softly, letting his eyes fill with tears once more as James disappeared forever.

"He will, Edmund," Crystalline replied, placing her hand lightly on Edmund's shoulder. Edmund turned his head to lock eyes with Crystalline, who returned his look with watery eyes.

They exchanged unspoken comfort to one another before looking back to the now-filled grave, bidding their dear friend goodbye. Before they left the grave to return to their duties, Edmund wrote on a rock with a bit of coal that Crystalline had brought with them, _Here lies James; a faithful friend, and a warrior for Aslan. May he rest in peace, forever free from the chains of slavery._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

 **Plans**

Later that afternoon, Crystalline was sadly scrubbing the stone floors of the kitchen when she heard the kitchen doors creak open. She looked up to see Edmund sneaking into the kitchen, stealthily looking around.

"What are you doing here?" Crystalline whispered, stopping her scrubbing and sitting back on her heels.

"Looking for you," Edmund replied.

"Why?" Crystalline asked.

"Because King Peter wants to see you, that's why."

"King Peter wants to see _me?_ "

"Yes. Both King Peter and yours truly," Edmund replied, an impatient look gracing his face.

"Well, if two Kings want to see me at the same time, it must be important," Crystalline replied, and went of to another part of the Kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Edmund whispered after her.

"To get someone to cover for me," Crystalline replied, "I won't be a minute."

And Crystalline kept her promise. In less than a minute, she came back with a young kitchen girl.

"Now let's go before King Peter gets impatient," Edmund said in a normal tone of voice, trying to act normal so the kitchen girl wouldn't suspect anything. Crystalline caught on.

"Yes, let's. We don't need to catch it because we kept King Peter waiting."

And with that, they scurried out of the kitchen.

"What's the problem?" Crystalline asked as soon as they had made their way out into the open.

" _S-h-h._ Keep your voice _down_ ," Edmund whispered, before replying in the same tone, "Peter and I are planning our escape."

"Our _what?_ " Crystalline replied, making sure to whisper.

"Yes, I said escape, but we can't talk about it any more until we're safely in Peter's guesthouse."

"Alright. Let's get there as quickly as possible."

"Alright."

Peter was nervously sitting in his guesthouse, starring at maps of Calormen, trying to determine how long it would take for his brother to reach the border. He started when he heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Peter asked, trying to keep his tone of voice normal.

"Edmund and Crystalline," Peter heard his brother's answer, though it was rather muffled as it came through the door.

"Come in," Peter replied. The door then opened, and in came Edmund, Crystalline following close behind. The centaur that had been posted at the door of the guesthouse then closed the door behind them.

"Ed!" Peter said with relief once the door was closed, "You're here."

"You didn't think I would be here, did you?" Edmund asked.

"No. I thought you'd be held up with what happened this morning."

"Nothing held me up, thankfully."

Peter then turned to look at Crystalline, who was watching the two Kings converse, completely in awe. Two of the most powerful men in Narnia, who she had dreamed of meeting almost her whole life, now stood before her.

"Good morn, milady," Peter said politely, bowing to her. Crystalline curtsied.

"Good morning, High King Peter," she replied.

"What have you planned so far, Peter?" Edmund asked. Peter turned from Crystalline, and back to his little brother.

"Well," Peter replied, walking over to a table on which a map of Calormen rested, "judging by the map, it'll take a week to travel northward from Zalindreh to the border on foot; that is, if you sleep by day and travel by night."

Edmund nodded. "That seems workable."

Crystalline cocked an eyebrow. "How are we going to get out of the plantation?"

"By the ivy colored gate in the old orchards." Edmund replied. "We were wondering if you could lead you and me to it at night."

"Of course," Crystalline replied, "I could find the gate in my sleep."

"Good," Peter said, relief flooding his voice.

"Well; we already know how long the trip will take, and how we can escape the plantation, is there anything else we need to plan?" Edmund asked.

"Yes," Peter replied, "We need to decide when you and Crystalline will escape."

"I'm game for tonight," Edmund replied, before turning to Crystalline. "Are you?"

"Oh yes!" Crystalline replied, clapping her hands for joy.

"It's settled, then," Peter replied, "you and Crystalline will escape tonight, and I will leave for Archenland tomorrow morning."

"Alright," Edmund replied, walking to the door. "I think it's time Crystalline and I were going. We don't want to have anyone suspicious."

"Alright, Ed. Be safe," Peter warned.

"You sound like Su, Pete!" Edmund called over his shoulder. Peter laughed.

"I'll scold you like Susan does if you're not careful!"

Edmund smirked and led Crystalline out the door. When they were outside, the two exchanged shocked glances. What had they just gotten themselves into?


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

 **The Escape**

Edmund and Crystalline could barely work for the rest of they day. Nervous excitement filled both of them. The feeling only intensified when they made it to the slave's quarters that night, anxious for the sun to completely go down, and the other slaves to fall asleep. Fearful thoughts raced through their minds; fearful of what would happen if they were re-captured.

After a few hours that felt like years, Edmund sat up in his bunk and looked around. To his relief, every other slave in the quarters was asleep, except for Crystalline, who merely had her eyes closed.

Slowly, Edmund reached over and touched Crystalline on the shoulder. She started, but relaxed when she saw Edmund standing over her. Edmund silently beckoned for her to follow him. He then turned and silently crept across the wooden floor to the door. Crystalline slowly sat up, and looked around the slave's quarters one last time. It seemed surreal that she would never see it again. She likewise crept across the floor to where Edmund stood gazing at her, a grave look on his face.

Edmund quickly opened the door and rushed Crystalline outside, slipping out the door and closing it behind them before moonlight penetrated the darkness of the quarters.

"Now, let's get into the shadows," Edmund whispered, bustling Crystalline to the left side of the slave's quarters.

"How are we going to get to the gate?" Crystalline asked in a low whisper.

"We have to make sure none of the overseers are coming by," Edmund replied, peeking around the corner of the building, "and then it's going to be a job to get to the gate—"

"And then for Narnia!" Crystalline interrupted. Edmund turned to smile at Crystalline. "Let's focus on getting to Archenland first, shall we?"

"Are we going to meet up with King Peter in Archenland?" Crystalline asked.

"Yes, at Anvard castle," Edmund replied, going back to peeking around the corner.

"You mean, the castle where—"

" _Hush!_ "

Crystalline almost screamed when Edmund jumped in front of her, clapping his hand over her mouth, forcing her down and leaning over her. She understood Edmund's sudden actions when she heard the clomping boots of an overseer stop at the corner where they were hidden in the shadows. Both sat completely still, bating their breath as the overseer remained near them for what felt like years, before he grunted and slowly walked away. Edmund sighed with relief, his tense body relaxing. They hadn't been seen.

"He's gone," Edmund said in as low a whisper as possible, "But let's not talk until we get to the gate."

Crystalline nodded, and stood up. Edmund grabbed her hand. "Lead on," he whispered, his face turning grave.

Crystalline started down the path that led to the fields, every once in a while being tugged into the shadows of a citrus tree by Edmund. After a good ten minute's walk, they arrived at the outskirts of the old orchards. Edmund then let go of Crystalline's hand, and they both made a dash for the gate. Crystalline smiled and let the night air caress her face. Though the was frightened, she could barely keep her heart inside of her, for it was soaring as high as the skies above them.

"Alright, we're here," Edmund said, as Crystalline stopped short in front of the ivy-covered wall.

"Yes, now all we have to do is open the gate…" Crystalline's voice trailed off, and her face grew pale.

"What's the matter?" Edmund asked his heart beginning to race with fright.

"The Tarkaan has the key to the gate. It's locked." Crystalline replied.

"That's not a problem," Edmund replied in a tone of relief. He then walked over to the wall, and knocked on it. When he felt stone make contact with his knuckles, he moved on and knocked on the wall again. He did this until he heard his knuckles rapping against the wood of the old gate. He then crouched down and removed some brambles and twigs that covered a large hole underneath the gate, just big enough for a person to crawl through.

"When did you do _that?_ " Crystalline asked.

"I didn't _do_ it. I only nearly broke my ankle on it this morning when we were burying James," Edmund replied solemnly. "I did cover it with the brambles, though."

Edmund then stood aside and gestured to the hole. "Ladies first."

Crystalline nodded, getting on her hands and knees and squeezing herself through the hole. When she reached the other side and scrambled out of the hole, she wanted to sing with joy and dance around at the same time. She was out of the plantation! Free!

Edmund, on the other side of the wall, watched Crystalline disappear through the hole. He glanced over to Jane's gave, not even a foot away.

"Goodbye, James," Edmund whispered. "Until we meet in Aslan's Country, dear friend."

Edmund then crawled into the hole, making his way out of the hole minutes later, bringing come brambles with him. As soon as he was out of the hole, he filled it with the brambles.

"Now come on," Edmund said in a low tone, "let's get out of Calormen as soon as possible."

Crystalline nodded grimly. "With pleasure."

Edmund then started off, leading them northward. Crystalline looked up at the trees around her. It was hard to believe that she would soon be living in a land where the trees could dance. The woods they were walking in were thick, however, and Crystalline didn't walk very far before she tripped on a root. Edmund turned at the sound of Crystalline falling to the hard earth.

"Be careful, Crystalline," Edmund cautioned, helping her up.

"Can't we go a bit faster, just to get as far away from here as possible?"

"You mean run?"

"Yes!"

"Alright," Edmund replied, shrugging. "Just be careful."

"Alright," Crystalline grinned up at Edmund before bolting off into the forest. Edmund laughed lightheartedly and raced after her. The hearts of both soared higher and higher with every step as happiness returned to them. They became almost careless, racing through the brambles. By the time they paused for a breath by a river, the plantation was a quarter of a mile away.

"Now," Edmund said once they had regained their breath, "Judging by the position of the stars, we are right on course. In order to continue on, we need to cross this river."

"Cross the river?" Crystalline asked apprehension in her voice.

"Yes. That way, when the Tarkaan comes after us with his dogs, the dogs won't be able to trace our scent further than this river, and the Tarkaan will presume that we drowned."

Crystalline's gaze turned from Edmund to the river. "I—I can't swim."

Edmund's brow furrowed, obviously thinking. Suddenly, he turned around, with his back to her.

"Put your arms about my neck. I'll be able to carry you across," he instructed.

"You won't be able to carry me," Crystalline protested, "I'll be too heavy."

"You forget, Crystal," Edmund replied kindly, "I'm not only a king but a warrior. I've crossed rivers in full armor. You won't be too heavy for me to carry."

Crystalline nodded and tentatively stepped forward. Awkwardly, she wrapped her arms around Edmund's neck. As soon as Crystalline had gotten a firm hold on Edmund, he began to slowly wade into the river. Crystalline became frightened as she felt the strong, ice cold water push against her and Edmund, stopping at their shoulders. She watched the water flowing down river straight at them. She squeezed her eyes shut, silently praying to Aslan that they would make it across the river safely. Underneath her, Edmund was praying the same.

After minutes of slow but steady wading, Edmund made it onto the shore, letting Crystalline slip off of his back. They both sighed with relief as they looked at one another, then back at the swirling water.

"Come on," Edmund said, laying his wet hand on Crystalline's partly dry shoulder. "Let's get as far away from here as we can before the sun rises."

Crystalline had forgotten what it was like to be free. The rest of that night, she walked in almost a daze, dreaming of what freedom in Narnia would be like. Edmund was happy, too, but as the sun began to rise and he knew the Tarkaan's household would be waking up, he began to become more grave and apprehensive. He knew that the Tarkaan would go after them as soon as he found they had escaped, it seemed more and more probable in his mind that the Tarkaan wouldn't just stop at the river. He knew that Edmund was a strong lad, and that he was capable of crossing a river, if he could swim.

Edmund turned to glance back at Crystalline, who was smiling at the shafts of golden sunlight that shone through the trees. Edmund smiled a little.

"How are you holding up back there?" Edmund asked.

"I'm fine. Isn't the sunlight beautiful, Edmund?" She turned her gaze from the trees to Edmund, who nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by a whizzing sound. He suddenly paled and jumped at Crystalline, tackling her to the ground. They both hit the hard earth just in time to watch in horror as a cruel, barbed arrow landed in a tree, which Crystalline had been standing directly in front of. They didn't have time to ponder who loosed the arrow at them, for the faint sound of barking dogs echoed from the forest behind them, steadily coming closer.

 _"_ _Run!_ " Edmund cried, grabbing Crystalline by the wrist and pulling her to her feet. He then pushed her in front of him, thus forcing her to run as fast as she could. Crystalline's heart beat wildly in her chest as she hiked her skirts, literally running for her life.

The dogs had come closer now. Edmund momentarily swiveled his head around to catch a glimpse of the fierce, snarling dogs bolting at them, their sharp teeth flashing in the sunlight. A little ways beyond, the Tarkaan and two overseers were riding on horseback…

" _Faster, Crystal! Run faster!"_ Crystalline heard Edmund scream in her ear. She redoubled her efforts, gaining a momentary burst of speed.

The dogs were even closer now. Edmund looked back again. They were less than four feet away, and so were the Tarkaan and the overseers. Edmund's heart beat wildly when he saw the Tarkaan's bloodshot eyes meet his…

Edmund turned his head back around, trying not to let his fear get to him. Aslan _had_ to let them escape, he just _had_ to! Why, he might come roaring in any minute now, scaring away the Tarkaan and the overseers for good!

Edmund's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain in his ankle. He turned to see a fierce dog biting into his flesh, glaring up at him with its vicious dark eyes. He let his hand sail through the air, making contact with the beast. It only whimpered, and kept its painful, iron grip on Edmund's ankle. By now, another dog had come, and grabbed Edmund by his pants…

"Edmund!" he heard Crystalline's terrified scream as a dog caught hold of her skirt. Another one grabbed on as well, and another. By the time the Tarkaan and the overseers cantered up to them, Edmund and Crystalline were held fast, each by multiple dogs.

The Tarkaan and overseers dismounted their horses, quickly stalking over to a fighting Edmund and a screaming Crystalline. One overseer violently grabbed Edmund and tied his wrists together, then his ankles. The Tarkaan ordered the dogs to let go of him. They instantly obeyed.

"Edmund!" Crystalline cried again. Edmund turned to see Crystalline being tied as well.

"Shut up!" one of the overseers bellowed, raising his hand to slap Crystalline.

"Wait," The Tarkaan growled. The Overseer stopped, his hand frozen in midair. "Don't do anything to them _yet_. They'll get their punishment when they're back at the plantation. We'll make a good example out of them."

"No!" Crystalline screamed, frozen in terror. Her crystal eyes were wide, pure fear replacing any previous happiness that she had felt just minutes before. She turned to look at Edmund, who had stopped fighting and now merely sat still. They were captured again. There was nothing they could do.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

 **The Just Slave**

Peter woke up that morning to the sound of kayos: dogs barking, men yelling, the scuffling of feet, and the clip-clopping of horses' hooves. He jumped out of bed, hissing as the wounds on his back scolded him for sudden movement. He started when the door to his guesthouse suddenly flung open, and in burst General Orieus, his face concerned.

"What is it, General?" Peter asked, eying the centaur.

The General stepped into the guesthouse, bowing to Peter and closing the door behind him. "It's King Edmund, your majesty. They have found out that he and the lady have escaped."

Peter nodded. "I hope they're alright…"

"I don't think they are, your majesty," The General replied quietly.

"What do you mean, Orieus?" Peter asked, his face draining of all color as he stared at the General. The centaur knew something that he didn't.

"The Tarkaan left to find them an hour ago, your Majesty. He is just now coming back… with your brother in tow."

Peter's stomach did a turn. "What of the lady?"

"She's bound and has been carelessly slung across the Tarkaan's horse."

Peter nodded. He stood up and walked over to the door. He tried to calm himself down, so that when he got outside he wouldn't look like he had been anticipating this; like he had been up the whole night, worried sick for his brother's safety.

Peter stepped outside into the cool morning air. When he made it near the stables, he didn't know where to look. All around him, slaves were running to fetch water for the horses, dogs were straining at their leashes, and their handlers were trying to keep them still. Other slaves just stood in a crowd, gaping. And they had good reason to gape. For there on his horse sat the Tarkaan. Behind him, Crystalline, bound hand and foot, was slung over the horse's back like a sack of flour. But the slaves were starring mostly at the poor, disgruntled figure that was stumbling along behind the horse, his wrists bound and attached to a long rope that was being constantly pulled at by an overseer.

"All of you! Gather 'round!" The Tarkaan bellowed out, addressing the slaves that were running back and forth between the stables and the horses. All the slaves within earshot gathered around, knowing looks on their faces.

"Now," The Tarkaan continued, "I am sure that all of you know by now what these two have done. And I want all of you to forget these pathetic dreams of freedom and know that there will be consequences for your actions if any of you try to escape like these two here have done. Let them be an example to you, and let you know not to do such an idiotic thing in future. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," everyone replied at once.

"Good." Finished with his little pep talk, the Tarkaan gestured to an overseer, who grabbed Crystalline and was about to tie her to a ring on the outside of the stable (it was used for hitching horses). Peter, from his place on a hill a few yards away from the madness, instinctively knew what was about to happen next. He stepped forward, his mouth open and prepared to intervene, when Aslan suddenly appeared in front of him, standing between him and the others.

"Peter," Aslan addressed Peter softly, gently. Peter only stood there with his mouth hanging open.

"A-Aslan?" Peter whispered, not fully grasping how Aslan got had gotten there so suddenly. But then again, he wasn't a tame lion…

"Peter, don't intervene. Let things run its course," Aslan replied. His gentle, golden eyes held a look of sadness in them. He knew it was going to be hard for Peter to follow this order.

"Wha-What?" Peter stammered, wondering why Aslan was stopping him from helping his younger brother and a lady in distress. Did Aslan save Edmund from death on the stone table just to be a slave for the rest of his life? Peter didn't understand.

"Everything will be alright, Peter. In the meantime, I want you to make preparations to leave the plantation. There is nothing else for you to do here, and it would hinder your brother's only chance of freedom if you stayed."

Peter stared at Aslan for a moment, trying to grasp what the lion had just told him. He finally nodded and managed to reply, "Yes, Aslan. I'll do that right away." In a daze, he turned around and walked back towards his guesthouse.

After Peter was out of sight, Aslan sharply turned around to catch a glimpse of Crystalline trying to wriggle out of the overseer's grasp. Edmund was nearby, kneeling in the dust and looking very ashamed of himself. Aslan opened His great mouth, letting out a whisper that carried on the cool, gentle morning breeze right into Edmund's ear,

" _Do not be afraid, my just one. Do what is right. Do what you must. I will be with you._ " Seeing that Edmund had heard him, Aslan smiled and disappeared.

Edmund knew what he had to do, but deep down inside himself, he wished he didn't have to do it…

"Wait! Please, wait! I—I have something to tell you!" Edmund cried out, causing the overseer, Crystalline, the Tarkaan, and the whole crowd of slaves to freeze, starring at him.

"What is it _now_ , boy?" The Tarkaan asked in annoyed tone.

"She's innocent!" Edmund cried again, gesturing to Crystalline, "I… I _forced_ her to escape with me. She didn't want to escape… but… but I _made_ her escape with me anyway. It's _me_ who deserves to be punished, not her!"

Aslan must have let Edmund's words hit home in the Tarkaan's mind, for he just stood there, starring at Edmund with a look of shock and rage.

"Let the girl go," He suddenly snapped. The overseer released Crystalline, and she fell to her knees before him.

"Is this true, girl?" The Tarkaan asked curtly. Crystalline glanced over at Edmund, who nodded his consent to her.

"Y-Yes, sir," Crystalline stammered. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Betraying a king of Narnia?

"Well, then," The Tarkaan said, fixing his hawk-like eyes on Edmund, "It seems that a beating won't do a thing to break that reckless spirit of yours, so I won't give you one."

Edmund sighed with relief. No beating! _Wait a moment,_ Edmund thought, _there must be a catch…_

"So," The Tarkaan continued, "I will let the overseers find a suitable job for you that will break that rebellious spirit. Maybe a bit of manual labor will make you think twice about trying to defy me, eh?"

The Tarkaan then proceeded to kick Edmund in the side and stalk away. "Oh," he added, "And you won't sleep in the slave's quarters anymore. You'll call the stable your place of rest from now on."

"What about the girl, sir?" the overseer asked.

"Let her be. She's not done anything, and it won't do to punish her for something she's not done. But make sure the boy has shackles on. We don't want to risk him running away again, do we?"

"No, sir."

"Get to it, then."

"Yes, sir."

The overseer then grabbed Edmund and dragged him into the stables. The second overseer retrieved a pair of iron shackles from the wall. As one overseer held Edmund still the other fastened the shackles onto Edmund's ankles.

"Let's see you try to escape with _these_ on," one overseer laughed as Edmund tried to walk. Edmund sighed. His chance of freedom seemed dead now.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:**

 **A Leave-Taking**

Edmund awoke the next morning to the sound of an overseer opening the stable door with a loud creak.

"Come on, boy. Time to get up," The overseer snapped, producing an iron key with which he unlocked a paddle lock that chained Edmund to a ring on the wall, close to the ground. Edmund felt the tips of his ears grow hot. It was so humiliating for him to have to rely on someone like this…

He meekly followed the overseer out of the stables, rubbing his eyes. Outside, the sky was turning a dull gray. Ten minutes later, as he and the overseer passed Peter's guesthouse, Edmund glanced curiously at the small figures of the Narnian creatures packing up things into trunks. _What are they packing for? Is Peter leaving?_ Edmund thought as they passed the creatures, bound for the orchards.

It was later in the afternoon when Peter strode out of his guesthouse, bound for the orchards. He had seen Edmund and the overseer walk past the guesthouse that morning, and he hoped that Edmund was still there.

Peter took a deep breath. In one respect, he couldn't wait to get back to Cair Paravel, back to his sisters…

…but in another respect, he couldn't bear to leave.

"Peter!"

Peter was torn from his thoughts by the familiar voice of Edmund from the tree above him. He craned his neck and spotted his brother perched above his head on the limb of a tree, picking oranges.

"What are you doing up there?" Peter asked.

"What do you think I'm going up here?"

"Sorry," Peter replied, blushing.

"It's alright. But why are you here?"

"I came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? Are you leaving?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Why are you leaving?"

"Aslan told me to leave as soon as I could."

"Aslan? When?" Peter could hear the incredulous tone in his brother's voice.

"Yesterday, when the Tarkaan was about to punish you."

"Oh."

Edmund swung down from the tree, landing on the ground with a thump. Peter raised an eyebrow when he heard clinking as well. He looked down at Edmund's feet and started when he saw the heavy iron shackles attached to his brother's ankles.

"It's alright, Peter," Edmund said, noticing the troubled look in his elder brother's eyes. "Aslan will free me and Crystal. I'm sure of it."

Peter shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if he even will."

Edmund put a hand on Peter's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Aslan will do what is best for all of us, Peter. We just have to accept what he gives us and stay strong in the conviction that all will be right in the end."

Peter nodded, his eyes welling up with tears as he saw the assuring look on Edmund's face. Edmund didn't give him much time to cry, for he added a few seconds later, "Now, it won't do for you to be caught here with me. We'd both catch it."

Peter nodded. "I love you, Ed. Please, be safe until we see each other again."

Edmund smiled and hugged Peter. "I love you too, Peter. And don't worry, I'll be fine. Say hello to Su and Lu for me?"

Peter nodded and smiled, pulling away from his brother and looking him in the eyes. "I certainly will."

Edmund's smile darkened a little. So did Peter's. Both knew that the time of parting had come and neither wanted to part.

"I guess this is goodbye for now?" Peter broke the silence. Edmund nodded.

"Goodbye, Peter. Be safe."

"I will, Ed." Peter returned, taking a step back. "Just make sure the lady's safe as well."

Edmund laughed a little. "She will be safe, I assure you."

"Good," Peter laughed, before turning and walking away. He knew it had been an awkward goodbye, but at least he had _had_ a chance to say goodbye to his little brother, and for that he was grateful.

As soon as Peter was out of sight, Edmund sighed.

"Aslan keep you safe in all your endeavors, dearest brother, and may he return you speedily to Narnia," Edmund whispered. He stood there for another few seconds before he finally sighed again and went on with his work.

It had been four days since Peter had left the plantation, and the whole time, he had hardly said a word. Philip, the talking horse who Peter was riding, finally decided to try to console the young King.

"How is King Edmund, Your majesty? I didn't get a chance to see him, apart from when they chained him in the stables last night."

Peter, who had been lost in his thoughts, shook himself. "He's… alright…"

Philip nodded. "Ah."

The two went on in silence for a few more minutes.

"Philip?"

"Yes, King Peter?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, your majesty, you can ask me anything."

Peter took a deep breath. "The reason why we left the plantation so suddenly was because Aslan told me to."

"He did?" Philip asked, switching his cream colored tail in excitement.

"Yes, he did. But there is something that troubles me, Philip."

"Oh? And what is that, your majesty?"

"What shall I do about Edmund? I have a feeling that Aslan wishes me to do something, but I don't know what."

Philip thought for a moment. "What about asking for help?"

Peter shook his head. "Ask help from whom, Philip?"

"If I may interrupt," General Orieus, who had been listening to the conversation, now trotted up beside Peter and Philip. "I think I may know who to ask help from."

"You do?" Philip asked, turning his head to look at the General.

"Who is it?" Peter asked.

"King Lune," the General replied simply, looking to Peter for the verdict.

"Why King Lune, Orieus?" Peter inquired.

"Well," The General replied, "let me tell you something first…"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen:**

 **Help!**

"Feather-Grip?"

Feather-Grip, a talking hawk who had been roosting on a tree branch beside the main road, now sat up straight and blinked his beady eyes.

"Yes, King Peter?"

"I need you to deliver this message for me as quickly as you can."

Feather-Grip spotted the parchment scroll that Peter held in his hand and nodded. "It shall be an honor, your majesty. Where shall I deliver this message?"

"To Anvard castle in Archenland. Make sure that this letter is read by no one other than King Lune himself."

"Then I shall set off at once, your majesty," Feather-Grip-responded, jumping into the air and beating his wings. He then grabbed the small scroll from Peter's outstretched hand and flew upward into the sky, and was off. Feather-Grip smiled as he felt the cool Narnian air rustle his feathers. He looked down below to see the small figures of the Narnian party as they made their way up the eastern coast, bound for Cair Paravel. Doubtless they would reach the castle in a few hours. He wondered what the two Queen's reactions would be to their brother's news that he had found Edmund. Feather-Grip flapped his wings all the harder. Though he hadn't read the letter himself, he had a feeling that the contents of the letter was about King Edmund. And whatever the cost, he had to get the letter to Anvard as quickly as possible.

It was at noon two days later that Feather-Grip arrived at Anvard castle. Doubtless the exhausted bird was relieved to see the castle below him, but he tried not to think about his relief until the letter was safely in King Lune's hands. Pointing his curved black beak at the ground below, he gracefully descended until he had stopped in front of a young knight who was guarding the castle doors.

"Hello, my good man," Feather-Grip squawked, hovering in midair in front of the surprised Knight. "I have come hither with a message from King Peter of Narnia, for King Lune."

The Knight nodded, still trying to overcome his surprise. "I will bring it to him, then."

Feather-Grip shook his feathered head. "I am afraid I cannot give you the letter, good sir. King Peter has sent me to expressly deliver this message into King Lune's very hands."

The Knight nodded again, this time with a thoughtful look on his face. Finally, he concluded, "I must show you to King Lune then, mustn't I? Well then, Sir Hawk, come with me."

"Thank you, sir, I am ever in your debt," the hawk replied politely, flying after the knight as he opened the large mahogany doors that lead to the castle and stepped inside. After going down a long series of halls, the knight stopped at an intricately carved door.

"What's your business here?" Another knight, who was guarding the door, asked the first knight.

"Escorting a Narnian messenger to King Lune… He says that he can't give the letter to anyone but the king himself," the first knight said, gesturing to the hawk hovering above his head.

"Alright. Pass through, then," the second knight replied, opening the door for the first knight and the hawk.

"Thank you, comrade," The first knight said as he passed through the doorway.

"Any time," the other replied, closing the door behind the two.

"Who's this?" King Lune, who had spotted the two coming into the room, asked in a merry tone of voice as he rose from his throne.

"A messenger from Narnia, your majesty," The Knight replied, bowing to the dais on which King Lune stood. "He has a message for you from High King Peter."

"Ah! I haven't heard from the High King in a time. Do come forward, Sir Hawk."

Feather-Grip flew up to King Lune and lightly dropped the precious scroll into the King's outstretched hand. He then wheeled around and landed on the last step of the dais, looking up at King Lune. The King broke the wax seal that was stamped the image of a lion's face and unrolled the scroll. The letter, written in plain print, rather than the fancy script that the High King usually wrote in, ran something like this,

 _From High King Peter, Lord of Cair Paravel, Emperor of the Lone Islands, and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, to King Lune, Lord of Anvard, King over the Country of Archenland, and Knight of the Order of the Griffon, greeting._

 _Friend,_

 _It is with great haste and urgency that I write you this letter. Aslan willing, I pray you will be able to comprehend what I am to write below! As you may remember, my royal brother, King Edmund the Just, went missing while in Calormen nine months ago. You may also know that myself and my comrades gave up searching for three out of those nine months. I had just recently began searching again a few weeks prior to the writing of this letter. Upon searching the county of Zalindreh, on the Eastern Coast of Calormen, I have found my brother most unjustly held on the plantation of the Tarkaan Zahran, having been sold to the said Tarkaan as a slave. My brother's current status as King of Narnia had not been revealed to Zahran at the time, and to this very day he still knows not who Edmund truly is._

 _While lodging at said Tarkaan's plantation, however, I most foolishly advised my brother to escape, taking with him a lady (who goes by the name of Crystalline) whom he had been trying to save when he was captured by Calormene slave traders. They were captured again the very next day, after having the night prior._

 _Upon leaving the plantation at the bidding of Aslan himself, my General, who is more acquainted with the goings on of the other countries than even I myself am, hath informed me that some of your Knights are skilled in the art of disguise. It is with great humility that I ask you if you can, if possible, aid my brother in some way. Any service that you could render for my dear brother Edmund and the maiden Crystalline will be met with the greatest marks of thanks and appreciation._

 _Written at our encampment eighteen miles south of Cair Paravel, on this sixteenth day of the month of Paintedleaf._

 _~High King Peter of Narnia, etc._

King Lune sat down in his throne, a troubled look on his face. What could he do? Armies would do nothing, for it was the Tarkaan's right to keep Edmund as his slave. If only there was some way he could get Edmund and Crystalline off the plantation inconspicuously…

As if from Aslan, King Lune suddenly had an idea. The Knight and Feather-Grip, who had been silently waiting for King Lune to say something, were quite startled when the King jumped to his feet, snapping his fingers and crying happily,

"That's it!"

"Pardon, sir?" The Knight asked timidly. He blushed when he saw King Lune smile at him.

"Sir Peridan, is it not?" King Lune asked the blushing knight.

"Yes, sir."

"What would you say to a quest, Sir Peridan?"

"What sort of a quest, your majesty? Whatever it is, I would gladly go on it."

"Good, because your quest is a rescue mission."

"Who am I to rescue, sir?"

"King Edmund the Just of Narnia and the maiden called Crystalline."

"King Edmund?"

"Yes. Come, lad. I'll tell you."

Sir Peridan nodded and walked across the room to the bottom step on which Feather-Grip was perched.

"But before I explain the situation," King Lune said, turning to Feather-Grip, "I would like to ask you, Sir Hawk, would the High King allow you to go on this quest as well?"

Feather-Grip thought for a moment, weighting pros and cons. Finally he nodded and replied, "I am sure he would, your majesty. But if I may be so bold as to ask, what services can I render Sir Peridan? I am but a talking beast."

King Lune smiled warmly. "You can help Sir Peridan spot King Edmund and the maiden. Many say that hawks have the best vision of any talking beasts in Narnia."

Feather-Grip nodded and bowed. "I am honored and flattered, your majesty."

King Lune cast the hawk a final smile before turning to Sir Peridan. "Now, let me explain my plan to both of you."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

 **Breaking the News**

While King Lune was excitedly explaining his plan to Feather-Grip and Sir Peridan in Archenland, many miles north in Narnia, Susan and Lucy were impatiently waiting for their brother to come home.

"I don't understand it," said Lucy to Susan as they sat on their thrones in the great hall, "I've seen campfires from further off. I even sent a talking pigeon to scout the area, and she assured me that it was Peter. She also told me that his party had made camp. What could possibly be keeping him?"

"To be sure, I don't know," Susan replied thoughtfully, looking up from the cloak she was embroidering for Edmund. This was how she had spent most of her time while Edmund was missing. She would always insist on making cloaks and tunics for Edmund, saying, "It won't do to have Edmund not own decent-fitting clothes when he comes back." Lucy, however, wouldn't be fooled. She knew that Susan was doubtful that Edmund would ever come back to them, and she was making clothes for the sake of keeping herself busy, so as not to think about her little brother.

"Do you think Peter found Edmund?" Lucy asked. She knew she shouldn't, but she was curious to see what Susan thought.

Susan sighed, letting her blue eyes lock with Lucy's. "I don't know, Lucy," She replied. Lucy frowned as Susan looked back down at her embroidery. She hadn't heard her older sister use that tone of voice before. It was a mix between sadness and hope, uncertainty and despair.

"Queen Susan! Queen Lucy!"

Susan and Lucy looked up to see Mrs. Beaver excitedly waddling into the throne room. "The High King is back! He is riding under the portcullis as we speak!"

"Hooray!" Lucy cried, jumping up from her throne. She looked over at Susan, who seemed equally joyful to have Peter home.

"Thank you, Mrs. Beaver!" Susan said, curtsying to the cheerful beaver before grabbing Lucy's hand and racing down the hall. The two sisters rushed past a blur of creatures, marble and stained glass as they raced down the halls and outside into the courtyard.

"Peter!" they cried, rushing down the stairs that lead from the entrance of the castle to the courtyard. Peter, who had just dismounted Philip, turned and smiled as he saw his sisters rushing toward him. Lucy was the first to greet him.

"Goodness, Lucy! Still don't know your own strength, do you?" Peter joked as his little sister nearly bowled him over. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Welcome home, Peter," Susan said with a smile, hugging her brother as Lucy released Peter's waist.

"Nice to see that someone is still calm around here," Peter said, casting Lucy a knowing look over Susan's shoulder.

Susan finally pulled back, and for a few moments all three looked at each other. Peter's heart sank. How on earth could he tell them?

Lucy glanced beyond Peter at the other creatures entering the castle. Her heart sank. Edmund wasn't among them.

"Where's Edmund?" She asked, looking to Peter for an explanation. Peter looked at is feet.

"Well," He began, "There's something I need to tell you two…" his voice trailed off.

"What is it?" Susan had a knowing look in her voice. Peter looked sadly up to meet her glance. Susan buried her face in her hands.

"No," she groaned. "Please, don't tell me he's dead! He _can't_ be!"

"He's not," Peter replied quietly. Susan looked back up again, a confused look on her face.

"Edmund's _alive?_ " Lucy gasped, her blue eyes widening with joy. She had known it all along! Edmund was alive! Peter nodded. "Then why do you look so sad, Peter? Isn't Edmund with you?"

"No," Peter moaned, looking back down at the ground as Susan's stare transformed from shock to suspicion.

"Then _what happened?_ " Lucy asked impatiently, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow in an Edmund-like way. Peter would have smiled if he hadn't been so distressed.

"I'll tell you in due course. But I suggest you sit down before I _do_ tell you what befell Edmund."

Susan nodded and led her two siblings down a path leading from the courtyard to the gardens. It was there, among the falling autumn leaves that Susan and Lucy sat down on an intricately carved stone bench, Peter facing them.

"The day he went missing," Peter began, "as you well know, Edmund went to the market in Tashbaan. There, for some reason that is still a mystery to me, he was captured by a Calormene slave trader and sold to a Tarkaan. He's been working at a citrus plantation the whole time."

"What?" Susan asked, standing up abruptly. "Edmund was a slave?"

Peter nodded. "And still is."

"What do you mean, Peter?" Lucy asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Well," Peter replied slowly, "When I went searching in Zalindreh, I stayed at the plantation where Edmund was working. When I met him, we planned his escape. He left the plantation the next night, and then was captured again the next day. I then left the plantation a day later."

Susan sat down on the bench again, burying her face in her hands, sobbing.

"It's alright, Su," Peter tried to comfort her.

"No it's _not_ alright, Peter! Our brother's a slave on a plantation, and it's all my fault! If I wouldn't have been so stupid that day, talking about parties and things, Edmund wouldn't have left for the market, and he wouldn't have gotten captured!"

"Edmund told me that we need to trust in Aslan, and all will be put to right," Peter said softly.

Susan looked up again, this time a glare on her face. "How can Aslan put anything to right when you can't—or won't—do anything? Why, I am sure you could've done _something_ instead of leaving him there like a right _coward!_ "

"But I _have_ done something, sister," Peter replied calmly, though Lucy could tell by the tone in her elder brother's voice that he was offended by Susan's angry words, "I have written to King Lune. General Orieus tells me that King Lune's knights are skilled in the art of disguise—spying, I believe it is also called. They would be able to do more for Edmund than I myself could hope to do."

Susan's look suddenly became twisted, as if she were trying not to cry and was barely succeeding in restraining herself from lashing out at the same time. "I do hope you're right, Peter," She said coldly, before she stood up and stalked away, no doubt headed to her bedchamber for a good cry.

Peter looked at the ground again. What had he just done?


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One:**

 **The Tarkaan No One Knows**

It had been three weeks since Peter had left the plantation, and already Edmund was thoroughly miserable. His legs were exhausted from dragging the heavy iron shackles behind him everywhere he went, and his ankles were chafed from the iron bands rubbing against his skin with every step he took. He tried not to complain, but he began to wonder if Aslan would _ever_ free him from the chains of slavery.

It was late afternoon, and Edmund was standing in line with the other field workers, waiting for their chance to get a drink of water before returning to their work. Edmund looked at the people ahead of him and saw that Crystalline was the one distributing the water today. He sighed with slight relief. At least he would be able to briefly talk to her.

After ten minutes of waiting, Edmund finally limped up to Crystalline. He frowned as she nearly dropped the bucket of water she was holding out of sheer shock. Edmund was aware that he was probably a sight to behold, but he didn't think he looked _that_ bad. But to Crystalline, he looked a fright. His skin, which was normally pale to begin with, was even paler than she could even think possible, giving him the appearance of a phantom. His dark eyes had lost all their sparkle, and large bags framed them. His whole body looked thin—she could almost see his ribs—and his ankles were a sight of themselves.

"Edmund…?" Crystalline whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Not really, Crystal," Edmund replied quietly, his voice hoarse.

"Here, I'm sure you're thirsty," Crystalline replied quickly, dipping a large wooden ladle into the bucket half-filled with cold water.

"Thank you," Edmund said, accepting the ladle and holding it to his lips.

"How have they been treating you? The overseers, I mean," Crystalline asked as Edmund thirstily drank the contents of the ladle.

"Let me just say that they're not very merciful," Edmund replied, handing the ladle back to Crystalline. She spotted just a hint of sparkle in his eyes, and she smiled at him. He wearily smiled back.

"The slave's quarters isn't the same without you, Edmund," Crystalline said softly.

Edmund opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of the front gates of the plantation opening, and in rode the Tarkaan (who had gone to market that morning), accompanied by another Tarkaan. Edmund raised an eyebrow when he spotted the other Tarkaan. He had seen many of the Tarkaan's Tarkaan friends, and none of them looked like this man. And what's more, he had a hawk perched on his shoulder. It was very rare to see a Tarkaan with a hawk when hunting—the Calormenes usually used dogs—let alone riding around with one on his shoulder.

"Who's _that_ chap?" Edmund whispered.

"I don't know," Crystalline replied. They stood in silence for another moment before Edmund whispered,

"I think I'd better get going. I don't want to catch it if the Tarkaan sees me holding the line up."

"Alright. I hope they treat you better, Edmund."

"So do I, Crystal."

Edmund then walked away from Crystalline, bound for the fields. When he thought that no one was looking, he stole a glance at the mysterious Tarkaan. He was certainly a young Tarkaan, about twenty or so. He wore clothing traditional to a Tarkaan, and his skin and hair told Edmund that the man was certainly a Calormene, but there was something about the man that made Edmund suspicions. As Edmund saw his own Tarkaan dismount his white horse, he saw the mysterious Tarkaan's hawk stare at him. After a short stare, the hawk turned its beak to its master's hear. Edmund almost thought the hawk was whispering. When the hawk looked at him again, Edmund's heart gave a leap. The bird's eyes were brighter than a regular hawk, and more intelligent. To any Narnian, this would betray any animal as a talking one. When Edmund had walked past the two Tarkaans and couldn't see them any more without turning around, Edmund raised an eyebrow. Who was this strange Tarkaan, and why was he here with a talking hawk?

Crystalline thought about Edmund for the rest of the afternoon, and when evening came, and the slaves filed into the kitchen to receive their dinner, she looked expectantly at everyone who came in. She wished that it was her turn to pass out the other slave's dinner tonight, but that was not to be. She had to wait on the Tarkaan and his guest tonight.

"Here; take this to the Tarkaan, will you?" Margret, a fellow kitchen girl, snapped Crystalline out of her deep thoughts as she shoved a heavy plate into Crystalline's hands. Crystalline didn't reply to Margret, but only walked off toward the door, swiveling her head around every few steps in hopes of catching a glimpse of Edmund walking through the doorway. When Crystalline walked through the kitchen doors and into the Tarkaan's dining room, her stomach did a turn. The two Tarkaans were sitting alone, softly but fiercely whispering to one another. To Crystalline's trained eye, this only meant one thing, The Tarkaan and his guest were haggling over something.

The two men ceased talking as Crystalline silently walked over to the low table at which they sat. Crystalline felt her cheeks grow red as she placed the plate before them, their gazes not leaving her for an instant. As Crystalline was walking away from the table and back to the kitchens, she couldn't help but hear the most frightening words that she had heard in her life:

"How much would you charge for the boy _and_ that girl over there? She seems like a healthy, strong thing. She'd be perfect for a laundry-maid."

Crystalline longed to stop and listen to what the Tarkaan said in reply, but she forced herself to keep walking. Back in the kitchen, she raced over to Margaret,

"Do you have anything else for the Tarkaan? Anything I can bring to the table?"

If Margret was surprised, she didn't show it. Instead, she looked down at a bowl of fruit she was preparing and replied simply, "I'll have this ready in a minute, and you can bring it to the table."

For the next few minutes that felt like an eternity, Crystalline wanted to grab Margret by the shoulders, give her a good shake, and tell her that she needed to go back into the dining room _now._ Margret was oblivious to Crystalline, and kept working. She was finally finished, and handed the bowl to the poor flustered girl.

"Now you can take this to the Tarkaan, and then you can have your dinner, alright?"

Crystalline nodded and nearly raced back into the dining room. When in the room, she walked as slow as she could, trying not to make it seem as though she were interested in the heated conversation that reached her ears,

"I'll give you one hundred crescents for both."

"One hundred? Are you out of your mind?"

"How much do you want, then?"

"At least six hundred!"

"You really drive a hard bargain, don't you?"

"Yes, yes. What is your next offer?"

"How about three hundred?"

"Three hundred? You don't know how much trouble that boy has given me, and you want to pay but three hundred? And the girl, well, it'd be best if she went with you as well. I can't afford to keep runaways."

Crystalline's heart jumped. _He means Edmund and me!_ she thought, completely frightened.

"So you'll take my offer?"

The Tarkaan looked thoughtful for a moment. He eyed Crystalline as she shakily put the bowl of fruit on the table. She quickly turned around again, and walked back toward the kitchen at the same, semi slow pace.

"Make it four hundred, and I'll take it," the Tarkaan finally gave in.

"Four hundred it is then."

Crystalline nearly gasped as she closed the door behind her. She and Edmund had been sold! What was in store for them _now?_


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

 **North**

"Get up, boy!"

Edmund jolted awake as he felt the overseer's wooden shoe make contact with his side. He waited for the overseer to unchain him, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Don't bother to chain him up any more than he is already. I'll take care of him in my own way," Edmund started when he heard an unfamiliar voice sound from above him. He looked up to see the mysterious young Tarkaan standing over him, looking down at him with concern.

"I'm your new master now, lad. And don't try to run; for you'll be worse off than you already are if you do," The young Tarkaan admonished gently, almost kindly. The overseer next to him gave a grunt.

"Pah! Words don't mean anything to him. As one of the poets has said, "only a fool teaches a slave with words." If it were me, sir, I'd take that whip off the wall over there and—"

"Thank you for your advice," the young Tarkaan interrupted, his face grave, almost annoyed, "but I will deal with my slaves in my own way. Now hand me the boy, if you please."

The overseer shrugged. "Here. Take him, and with pleasure. He's been a nuisance to me ever since he was brought here… he slacks in his work, too. I can't tell you how many times I've had to teach him to get off his—"

"As interesting as that sounds," The young Tarkaan interrupted again, this time in an exasperated tone, "I have to set off for my plantation. If I don't leave soon, I won't get there before nightfall, and what will I do, trying to make camp knowing the slave I bought is a former runaway?"

The overseer nodded. "I see what you mean, sir. We surely wouldn't want that."

He then freed Edmund from the chain that attached his shackles to the wall and roughly dragged him to his feet.

"This way, lad," the young Tarkaan said, gesturing to the open door of the stables. Edmund meekly followed. As they were walking out of the stables, he saw Lenis the horse whinny and shake his mane, as if bidding Edmund goodbye. Edmund smiled and nodded to the horse. It was the only goodbye he could manage.

Outside, mist clung to the ground, making the entire plantation a mass of gray, light, and dark, shadowy forms. Edmund looked in the direction of the old orchards, to where James lay. He couldn't help but feel sad.

 _I guess this is goodbye, James._ Edmund thought. He wished that James would have lived, and maybe he could have at least been bought with him. Maybe the Tarkaan would have been nice to James. Maybe then the young Tarkaan could have seen James' gentle demeanor and set him in charge of watching over his children, if he had any.

"Yes, I guess this _is_ goodbye. Don't worry; I'm sure this Tarkaan will be agreeable to you," Edmund heard a familiar voice reply. He spun around, and his eyes grew wide. For there, standing amid the mist with Aslan at his side, stood James. He looked happier and more refreshed than Edmund had ever seen him, and he wore the clothes of a Narnian nobleman.

"James?" Edmund could barely whisper.

"Yes, Edmund. But hurry along now. You don't want to keep the Tarkaan and Crystalline waiting, do you?"

"Crystalline?"

"You'll find out in time, Edmund."

"But why are you here? I thought you were dead…"

"I am. At least, in this realm I am. But that is beside the point of my being here. Aslan has let me come with him to this realm to give you a message."

"What message is that?"

"That we will both be returning to our kingdoms quite soon, though your kingdom and mine are different."

"What do you mean?"

"I shall be returning to my elder brother in the kingdom of Aslan's country, while you shall return to your siblings in the kingdom of Narnia."

"But that's preposterous, James. I can't return to Narnia! Why, I've just been bought by another Tarkaan!"

"There is something this Tarkaan is hiding, Edmund. He carries a secret that is the key to your freedom."

"What secret is that?"

"I cannot tell you, Edmund. This you must find out for yourself. Peace be with you, Edmund, and safe journeys."

Before Edmund had a chance to reply, James and Aslan disappeared in the morning mist.

"Lad?" Edmund heard the young Tarkaan's voice sound from behind him. Then he felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder.

"I told you he's a slacker," Edmund heard the overseer scoff.

"Come on, lad. We must go," The young Tarkaan said firmly, his grip tightening on Edmund's shoulder. He then steered Edmund toward the front gate of the plantation, where a wooden wagon was waiting. As Edmund drew closer, he barely made out the form of Crystalline sitting in the wagon, her head in her hands.

"Up you go, lad," the young Tarkaan said, gently heaving Edmund up into the cart. Edmund instantly scooted over to Crystalline as the young Tarkaan paid the overseer for his services and climbed into the driver's seat of the wagon. His hawk flew out of a nearby tree and perched on his shoulder.

"Miss me?" Edmund whispered in Crystalline's ear. Crystalline looked up, locking her tear stained gaze on Edmund's face.

"Oh Edmund! He bought us last night. Isn't it awful? First we were captured when we tried to escape, and now we're being sent away! Oh, this is terrible!" And with that, she began to cry again.

"But _is it_ so terrible?" Edmund mused.

"Whatever do you mean?" Crystalline replied, momentarily forgetting the tears she wished to shed.

"I mean, don't you think starting a new life somewhere else would be, you know, _better?_ I mean maybe we could be together more…" Edmund stopped himself. What in Narnia was he saying?

Crystalline didn't seem to notice Edmund's sudden pause. "Maybe for you, but not for me. I'd rather begin a new life in Narnia as a lonely person living in a cottage in lantern waste than move to a new plantation," she said bitterly.

"A lonely housewife in lantern waste, eh?" Edmund asked, hoping to cheer Crystalline up.

"What's so bad about a cottage in lantern waste?" Crystalline asked.

"Nothing really. I just thought that you'd prefer something larger… like a castle?"

"You _are_ being cheeky today, aren't you?"

"Have you forgotten who I am _already?_ "

"No. I haven't."

Edmund frowned as Crystalline put her head in her lap again. _Well, that was a waste of precious breath,_ Edmund thought as he gazed at the plantation, which was steadily fading out of sight. Ten minutes later, it was completely swallowed up in the gray mist, never to be seen again.

The ride for most of that day wasn't a happy one. Crystalline and Edmund sat in the back of the wagon, completely silent. Neither one spoke to the other, and neither even looked at the other. They just stared on as they watched the road run further and further away from them as the wagon jolted on, ever northward, though neither noticed. The young Tarkaan never said a word either, though neither Crystalline nor Edmund expected him to speak anyway. And so the three rode in silence and no noise was made except for the neighing of the horse pulling the cart, or the occasional creak of the wagon's wheels.

Slowly, morning passed into afternoon. When the sun was at its highest in the sky, Edmund and Crystalline turned around as they heard much noise and bustle coming from behind them. They groaned when they saw the many tiered city of Tashbaan looming above them. For the first time that day, the silence between them was broken.

"What on earth are we doing _here?_ " Crystalline whispered grimly.

"This Tarkaan's probably going to try to make a profit off of us," Edmund replied in the same tone.

"I don't think so," Crystalline returned.

"Why not?"

"Because I heard him and Tarkaan Zahran discussing my usefulness as a laundry maid. This Tarkaan probably lives in a house or palace somewhere in the city."

"Ah. Well, if they were discussing our usefulness as hired help, then you're probably right."

But to their surprise, the Tarkaan never stopped the cart once. In fact, they made their way through the crowded city, exiting through the Northern gate an hour after entering the city. When Tashbaan was out of sight, Edmund finally spoke,

"That's funny," he whispered.

"What?" Crystalline asked.

"We exited through the Northern gates of Tashbaan. And you know what that means don't you?"

"No. What does it mean?"

"It means that there is nothing between us now but desert. The only nearest civilization is Anvard castle in Archenland."

"Ah, so you've caught on right quickly, haven't you?" Both Crystalline and Edmund started when they heard the young Tarkaan speak out loud for the first time since they left the plantation.

"Caught on? What do you mean, sir?" Crystalline asked timidly.

"Can't you guess where I'm taking you two?" The young Tarkaan asked, not once turning around to face them.

"No, sir."

"Why, to Narnia of course! Well, not directly to Narnia, anyway. First we must stop at Anvard castle, where King Lune will write to High King Peter, and—"

"You mean you're not a Tarkaan after all?" Edmund asked.

"How did you guess, King Edmund?" The Tarkaan asked with a chuckle.

"Your mannerisms, for one," Edmund replied, "you bird friend, for another."

"Ah, so you knew he was a talking bird?"

"Any true Narnian can tell a talking beast from a dumb and witless one!" Edmund chuckled. By the lion, it felt good to laugh!

"Quite so, quite so!" The hawk, which was quite relieved at being recognized, voiced its opinion. "But what use is it, being a talking beast when one has to pretend to be a dumb one? Quite depressing, I think."

"Sir Hawk," Edmund said, "I could have sworn that I've heard your voice before."

"I believe you have, your majesty," The hawk replied, turning on the fake Tarkaan's shoulder in order to face Edmund. "My name is Feather-Grip, one of the High King's Herald-Hawks."

"Ah yes! The Herald-Hawks! How could I forget?" Edmund replied with another laugh, obviously remembering something amusing.

"What are the Herald-Hawks, Edmund?" Crystalline asked before quickly adding, "I mean, _King_ Edmund?"

"They are one of the most noble (if not slightly amusing) order of messenger-hawks that my brother put into service. Only hawks that are fast, strong, and keen are admitted into the order. Feather-Grip here is one of the swiftest of all of them, and because of this gift of his he is my brother's favorite, er, _herald_ , if you will. He has carried a great deal of messages to me from my brother when he was on the battlefield, and I was stuck at Cair Paravel."

"That sounds very interesting," Crystalline replied, her eyes gleaming, though she could hardly believe this change in events.

"Quite. I can tell you more about it, if you like," Edmund replied with a grin.

"I would _love_ to hear more!" Crystalline cried. _Is this a dream?_ She thought to herself.

"I would be glad to tell you more, then."

 _Well, if it is a dream, I'd better have as much fun as I can before I wake up,_ Crystalline concluded.

But it wasn't a dream. For the rest of the day, Edmund told Crystalline many wonderful tales of his many varied adventures while being King of Narnia. He told about being attacked by werewolves and how he lost his memory and narrowly escaped letting King Peter be killed. He also told of grand adventures in the woods, and of quests to find missing wood sprites. Of fragrant summer evenings spent around a blazing bonfire, watching fauns and dryads dance round and round, not to mention of all sorts of battles, quests, and other adventures. The whole while he spoke, Edmund the slave seemed to become less and less, and Edmund the King more and more. His words became more eloquent, his speech more courtly, and even his whole demeanor changed. It was no longer the demeanor of a slave who had lost his fight for freedom. It was now the demeanor of a King returning home victorious from a long, hard battle. Crystalline noticed this change in Edmund, and she couldn't help but wonder how she ever could have regarded him as just a mere slave.

By the time Edmund had finished telling every tale he could think of, the wagon had reached an oasis that was located a few miles from the border of Archenland. The travelers were then employed with making arrangements for the night: gathering wood, lighting a fire, taking victuals out of bags that were found in the wagon, watering the wagon-horse, among other things. Edmund and Crystalline worked together, talking and laughing as if they had known one another all their lives, and were the greatest of friends. And in truth, they _were_ friends, though neither admitted it.

As the sun went down, Edmund, Crystalline, and Sir Peridan (for he, as I am sure you have already gathered, was the one masquerading as a Tarkaan) sat around the camp fire, and Sir Peridan told his story. It was, all in all, quite short, and not very exciting, but it was greatly appreciated by both Edmund and Crystalline, who listened intently to every word the knight spoke. And as the moon rose in the twinkling night sky, the three travelers and the hawk fell asleep under the stars, dreaming about what exciting adventures the next day would hold.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three:**

 **Anvard**

Crystalline was the first to awaken the next morning. For a moment, she wondered where she was, but slowly, the events of the previous day came back to her. For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to feel shocked.

 _Am I really free?_ She wondered, her eyes shifting to look at Edmund, _and to run into King Edmund, of all people! Dear Aslan, you_ have _been good to me!_

She slowly stood up. Almost silently, she walked across the cool glade the travelers had spent the night in, to the oasis that stood in the center. Slowly, she knelt down by the edge of a small lake, and peered into the silvery water, looking at the face it mirrored. She couldn't believe the forlorn face that starred back at her was her own. It was dirty, and the raven hair that wreathed it was a complete mess of tangles and frizz. Crystalline shook her head and dipped her hand, cupped, into the water. After tensing for a moment, she brought her hands out of the water, splashing the cold liquid onto her dusty face. After repeating this several times, she peered back into the rippling water again, and smiled. The dust that had been previously caked on her face was gone, revealing pale ivory skin underneath.

Crystalline dipped her hand into the water again, this time taking it out of the water and running her wet fingers through her hair, working out all the tangles.

"Goodness, this feels strange," Crystalline said to herself, "I've never spent this much time on washing up before. Well, I must get used to it, I suppose. I guess it all comes with being a free lady."

Crystalline turned at a rustling sound behind her. She smiled as she saw Edmund rising from his place by the fire. The moment he saw her, he froze.

"Crystal, is that _you?_ " he asked, almost disbelievingly. He rubbed his eyes, and looked at her again.

"Yes, it's me. I look different without dirt and dust all over me, don't I?"

Edmund smiled and walked over to where she was kneeling by the water's edge.

"You remind me of someone," he said, trying to look at her without his jaw dropping. _My, she's beautiful,_ Edmund thought to himself.

"Who?" Crystalline asked, quietly smiling. 

"My sister, Queen Susan… Why, if she had your eye color, you two could be twins."

Crystalline blushed. "You speak of me too highly, Ed— _King_ Edmund."

Edmund smiled. "I still think you look pretty, _Lady_ Crystalline." _What am I saying? Beautiful would be more the word. No, that's too plain a word to describe her. Striking? Gorgeous? Angelic?_

"You surely have a way with words, your majesty."

"Thank you," Edmund replied, flashing Crystalline a smile. "Now," he quickly changed the subject, "Do you think we should wake Sir Peridan? We would be able to reach Anvard by mid afternoon if we set off now."

"Alright," Crystalline replied. "Should I tackle him?"

Edmund laughed. "And startle the poor lad? I think not!"

"Lad? How old do you think you are, King Edmund?"

"Older than him, I suppose?"

"Rather! You've got to be at least four years younger than Sir Peridan!"

"You make me sound like an infant."

"Sometimes I do think you are," Crystalline joked good naturedly before turning around and walking back in the direction of camp.

Edmund laughed, following her. "Alright, Crystal; so I'm a little immature."

"Just a little at times," Crystalline replied, smiling over her shoulder, "Though you _have_ been acting your age lately."

"Really?" Edmund feigned surprise, "I grow up quickly then, don't I?"

"Quite quickly," Crystalline laughed.

By then, the two had reached the place where Sir Peridan still lay fast asleep on the ground.

"I'll wake up Sir Peridan, while you awaken Feather-Grip, alright?" Edmund whispered.

"Is it hard to awaken a hawk?" Crystalline asked in the same tone.

"Not really," Edmund replied before adding, "Just beware the sharp talons."

"Thanks, I'll remember that as my face is being clawed to shreds," Crystalline said sarcastically, though her eyes were still smiling.

"I don't think that'll happen. Feather-Grip knows better then to do that."

"Alright, then. I'll take your word for it."

Crystalline walked on a few feet to where the hawk was perched in a tree, roosting.

"Um, sir hawk?" Crystalline called, uncertainty in her voice. The bird didn't stir.

"Sir Hawk?!" Crystalline tried again, this time a little louder and more sure of herself. Still no response.

" _Can you hear me?!_ " Crystalline called even louder, this time short of screaming. The bird stirred a little, but didn't fully wake up.

" ** _WAKE UP, HAWKIE!_** " Crystalline screamed. Her voice re-echoed through the glade, and seemed to bounce off of the mountain range to their right. Not only did Crystalline's call have the desired effect (the hawk fell out of the tree), but it also woke up Sir Peridan, who Edmund had been having trouble waking up.

"Well done, Lady Crystalline. I ought to have you on my side when in battle. We could creep into the camp before any of the enemy is awake and you could attempt to awaken them and give them all cardiac arrest instead," Edmund called to Crystalline.

"I hope I haven't hurt the poor thing," Crystalline said.

"I'm alright!" Feather-Grip called, hopping out of the bushes into which he had fallen, rubbing his sore head with his wing.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent much like the last one. Edmund continued to tell Crystalline stories, this time of his siblings and the many adventures they had had. The hours went by quickly, and by late afternoon, just as Edmund had predicted, they had crossed the Calormen/Archenland border and could see the great castle of Anvard rising in the distance.

"Hark!" Feather-Grip, who had been flying ahead of the party and scanning the horizon, called down to Sir Peridan, "The castle is in the distance! We are almost home, Sir Peridan!"

"Thank you for the report, Sir Hawk," Sir Peridan called up to the hawk wearily. He had been receiving this same "report" for the last hour, and was growing weary of hearing it.

"Is _that_ Anvard?" Crystalline asked Edmund, pointing to the gray stone castle in the distance.

"Yes," Edmund replied, "It's a bit smaller than Cair Paravel, but just as beautiful. It's located a few miles from the sea, and you can see the sea from the taller towers. Anvard is a lovely castle, and King Lune is a kind man. I am sure you will love it there, Crystal."

"I am sure I will, King Edmund, especially with you there. I mean, to… er, help me about." Crystalline blushed. What was she saying? She was secretly glad to be somewhat alone with Edmund, but she need not say it to his face!

Edmund smiled. "I am glad to hear it, though I'm not sure if I will be able to find my way about myself."

"Open for the King of Narnia!" Sir Peridan bellowed to the men at the gate of Anvard castle. Immediately, they complied with Sir Peridan's order. In no time, the portcullis was raised, and Sir Peridan drove the wagon into the castle walls.

By this time, Crystalline had gathered that Anvard was quite a large castle. Of course, not having seen a castle in a considerable number of years, Anvard looked gigantic to her.

"Don't be nervous, Crystal," Edmund assured her when he saw her nervous face.

"I'll try not to be," Crystalline replied with a half hearted smile.

The wagon finally stopped in front of some steps that led to the doors which led into the heart of the castle itself. As Sir Peridan handed the cart-horse's reigns over to a stable boy, Edmund climbed out of the wagon, almost carrying Crystalline out with him. Crystalline couldn't help but feel content as Edmund set her down on the ground, saying,

"My apologies for being so bold, milady, but I am sure your legs are weak from travel. It wouldn't do to have you collapsing to the ground, now would it?"

Crystalline grinned. "No offense taken at all, your majesty."

"King Edmund! At _last!_ " a kind, booming voice sounded from behind them. They turned to see a tall, merry looking fellow with gray hair smiling down at them from the top step of the stairway.

"King Lune," Edmund whispered to Crystalline, who looked clueless.

"Greetings, friend! How goes things here in Archenland?" Edmund called, climbing the steps to where King Lune stood.

"As fine as ever, King Edmund. I trust that you have made it out of Calormen in one piece?"

"Yes I have, thanks to the valiant knight that you sent to rescue me."

"I am glad to hear it. But first, mayn't you introduce me to the lovely lady standing behind you?"

Edmund turned and smiled at Crystalline, who seemed to be frozen with shock and excitement. He walked back down the stairs, then returned to King Lune with Crystalline in tow.

"This is the maiden Crystalline, sir. Crystalline, this is King Lune of Archenland."

Crystalline made a low curtsy, "Nice to meet you, your majesty."

King Lune smiled merrily and bowed, "Ever your servant, milady." To this Crystalline blushed, though King Lune didn't seem to notice.

"Now, let us get you inside, both of you! You must be weary from your journeys, not to mention in want of fresh clothing!" King Lune's kind voice boomed in both their ears.

"That is very kind of you, sir; but I must write a message to my brother at once," Edmund said. King Lune only shook his head.

"Nay, King Edmund. If it please you, I shall write a note to your brother, and send it on by way of the hawk Feather-Grip. Methinks that the sight of your handwriting would send your brother, not to mention your sisters, into faints of joy. Nay, wilt thou give me the honor of breaking the good news?"

Edmund nodded with a smile. "You put up a good argument, sir. We surely don't want my royal siblings to be rendered unconscious by the atrocious and illegible sight of my unpracticed handwriting. Do as thou wilt."

King Lune smiled again, and turned to two servants standing behind him.

"Please take King Edmund to his chambers, and the Lady Crystalline to hers. Make sure that all is done to make them comfortable."

The servants, who were smiling as well, quickly uttered an enthusiastic "yes sir!" before scuttling to where Edmund and Crystalline stood. They were then bustled them into the castle, leaving King Lune, Sir Peridan, and Feather-Grip outside to contrive a message for Narnia's High King.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

 **Joyful Hope**

"King Peter!"

Peter looked up from the book he was reading to see Feather-Grip flying at him at top speed.

"Feather-Grip! Where _the_ _dickens_ have you been?!" Peter jumped up from his seat, holding his arm out for the hawk to land on. Feather-Grip ignored Peter's question, answering excitedly,

"I have a message for you from King Lune! It is wonderful news!"

That was all Peter needed to hear. He quickly grabbed the small parchment scroll that the hawk held in one talon and broke the wax seal, hurriedly skimming the contents of the letter, which ran something like this,

 _From King Lune of Archenland to High King Peter of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, etc., High Queen Susan of Narnia, Lady of Cair Paravel, etc., and Queen Lucy, Duchess of the Eastern Seas, etc.,_

 _Friends,_

 _It is with great joy that I tell you that I have not only aided your royal brother and the maiden Crystalline, but I have them safe under my protection at Anvard castle. I invite you all to come to Anvard as speedily as possible, for your brother is anxious to look upon your joyous faces once more. I would have sent him to you forthwith, but I am sure you would rather come here than to risk losing your brother again. I look forward to seeing all of you._

 _~King Lune_

Peter stared at the letter for a long moment, waiting for the news to sink in: Edmund was free. With a sudden leap of joy (which made poor Feather-Grip fly off of his arm with a surprised squawk), Peter flew out of the Royal Library and down the halls that lead to the Great Hall, screaming incoherently as he went,

" ** _SUSAN! LUCY! HE'S SAFE! HE'S FREE! HE'S FREE! WE MUST LEAVE FOR ARCHENLAND AT ONCE!_** "

Susan and Lucy, who had heard their brother's message but couldn't understand what it meant, rushed to their brother, who they found outside the door to the Great Hall, doing a happy jig with a laundry maid, who was starting to question her King's overall sanity.

"Peter, what _on earth_ are you talking about?" Susan asked. Peter released the laundry maid and rushed at Susan, grasping her by the hands and twirling her about with joy.

"Edmund's _safe!_ He's _free!_ King Lune rescued him!"

" _Edmund's_ _free?_ " Lucy asked, her eyes gleaming with joy for the first time since Edmund had gone missing.

"Yes! Yes!" Peter cried, spinning faster, until he and Susan looked like a swirling, twirling mass of blue and silver satin.

"Where is he?" Susan asked.

"He is safe at Anvard. We must leave for Anvard at once!"

"Not without packing, we won't," Susan replied, though the pure joy and happiness she felt could be heard in her voice.

"Of course, of course! Let us pack!" Peter stopped twirling the quite dizzy Susan and raced off toward his bedchamber, Lucy running after him, calling, "Not until you're in your right mind, Peter!"

Within the six hours that followed, the three royals had packed, had their ship stocked out with supplies, and gathered the ship's crew, who were all too eager to begin the day long journey down the coast to Anvard. Peter smiled as the three soverings walked the gangplank onto the ship, imagining what it would be like to hold his brother in his arms again. Next to him, Susan and Lucy were thinking the same.

"I can't wait to see Edmund!" Lucy said as she looked over the ship's railings, watching the ruby-red setting sun sink into the sea.

"Neither can I," Susan replied.

"Just think," Peter (who was much calmer now than before) said as he leaned on the ship's railings next to Lucy, "by this time tomorrow, we will be holding Edmund safe in our arms."

Susan, and Lucy smiled. That was the best thing they had heard in nine months.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five:**

 **The Changed Lady**

A day later, Crystalline awoke to the sound of much commotion coming from outside her bedchamber door. A few seconds later, a maid burst into the room, her face flushed but cheerful. She bobbed a quick curtsy to Crystalline before saying rather quickly,

"My apologies for intruding on your sleep milady, but we have just gotten news that the three royals of Narnia are due to be arriving at the castle this very afternoon! I thought you'd might like me to help you to get ready for their arrival."

Crystalline, who didn't fully realize what she was getting herself into, smiled and replied, "Of course, I would love that, thank you."

The maid smiled again. "Alright, then! Let's get started!"

The maid then whisked Crystalline out of bed and led her to an armchair in front of the hearth.

"Now, let me just get some water for a bath, and we'll clean you up right quickly," She said, and bustled out of the room. She came back a few minutes later with a bucketful of boiling hot water. Racing into a room that was adjoined to Crystalline's bedchamber, the sound of the maid pouring the water into a bathtub could be heard.

"Do you need any help?" Crystalline, who was feeling very uncomfortable with merely sitting and doing nothing; called to the maid.

"No, no! You just sit and rest, milady. A few others should be bringing more water up presently!" The maid's cheery call came from the adjoining room. As if on cue, five other maids came marching into Crystalline's bedchamber, all carrying buckets of hot water.

Goodness! One would think I was queen of Narnia by the way they wait on me! Crystalline thought to herself as one smiling maid helped her up from the armchair and marched her into the adjoining room. For the next hour, Crystalline found herself being scrubbed, poked, prodded at, and fussed over by six maids, who all seemed to think Crystalline wasn't truly clean until they had washed her themselves. By the time the hour was up, Crystalline was as clean as the day she was born, and smelled heavily of roses.

After her bath, Crystalline was then bustled behind a screen where one of the maids helped her to get dressed. Normally, Crystalline wouldn't have needed help getting dressed, if it weren't for the fact that the maids insisted she wear a corset. And of course, no one can put on a corset by themselves. After being fussed over for another fifteen minutes, Crystalline was finally dressed. The moment she was about to make her way to the door, however, yet another maid came in with a tray of breakfast, which was, all in all, not very unpleasant, for Crystalline was very hungry. After eating everything off of every plate that was set before her, Crystalline was free to spend the rest of the day as she pleased.

Walking with hurried steps out of her bedchamber, Crystalline made her way down the hall. After walking through many corridors, accidentally ending up in the laundry-house, getting completely lost, and asking for directions, Crystalline made her way into the castle gardens, hoping to find at least _some_ peace from the kayos ensuing around her. As she walked among the rose beds, she heard a small bird singing. A few seconds later, she heard a reply, but it didn't sound like a bird. Rounding a corner, she saw Edmund sitting on a stone bench, replying to every bird that chirped.

"Good-morning, King Edmund," Crystalline said softly. Edmund, not completely startled but startled all the same, instantly turned to look at her. He had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping.

"Crystal," he breathed, "you look… _wonderful!_ "

Crystalline smiled and blushed, her cheeks turning as red as the scarlet colored dress she wore. "Thank you for your compliment, King Edmund. It is greatly appreciated."

Edmund snapped out of his trance. Blushing himself, he said rather hurriedly, "Oh! Forgive me, milady. Tis a lovely day, isn't it?"

Crystalline smiled at him. "Quite. The roses are beautiful, are they not?"

Edmund smiled and nodded "Yes they are. One can easily see why they are called the flowers of love, for they are such fair flowers."

Crystalline nodded. "They give off such a lovely smell as well."

Edmund likewise nodded. "Yes, they do." The then stood up and asked, "would you do me the honor of walking with me, Crystalline?"

Crystalline smiled. "I'd love to, King Edmund."

Edmund smiled back, and held out his arm to her. Crystalline took it, and they walked along the path together.

"Do you know much about flowers, King Edmund?" Crystalline asked as they passed the rose bushes and made their way to other various flower beds.

"Not as much as my sisters, but I do know a bit of the language of flowers." Edmund replied.

"The language of flowers? What's that?" Crystalline asked inquisitively.

"The language of flowers is mostly symbolism. Every flower in the language has a meaning. Or example, Forget-me-Nots mean remembrance, and Hyacinth means sorrow."

Crystalline nodded. "Is there any flower that means freedom? If so, I would love to know what it is."

Edmund looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't think there is such a flower. But instead of flowers, we have the open sky, the tall grasses that wave in the free and fickle wind and the birds that wheel freely about in the sky. And we have ourselves, too. We all are symbols of freedom, I suppose."

Crystalline smiled again. "Even now, I still can't believe we're free…" she glanced at Edmund before adding, "and I still can't believe that you're King Edmund the Just."

Edmund chuckled. "You know, I can't believe I'm King Edmund either. It seems so surreal."

Crystalline nodded knowingly. "I am sure your life as King of Narnia seems so long ago."

Edmund smiled and nodded. "Aye. It does. As does your life in Narnia, I am sure."

Crystalline frowned a little and looked at the gravel path they were walking on. "It was so long ago, it doesn't seem real anymore."

Edmund frowned as well. "Would it be too painful for you if I asked what happened to you?"

Crystalline pressed a tight smile and shook her head. "I will tell you, if you really want to know."

"If you don't mind..."

"I don't."

Crystalline drew a deep, shaky breath. "Well, it all started a few days after my tenth birthday…"

 _Crystalline was excited. Well, this might have been an understatement. She was_ _very_ _excited. She was now ten years old, which meant her mother would allow her to run errands with her elder brother, Colin._

 _"_ _Mamma?" Crystalline asked her mother, who was busily packing a basket full of food._

 _"_ _Yes, Crystalline?" Her mother asked, turning around to face the young child._

 _"_ _Please, tell me again about the Kings and Queens." The young girl replied, walking up to where her bother stood in the kitchen of their small cottage._

 _Her mother laughed. "But I have already told you so many times, Crystalline. Why should this time be any different than the last?"_

 _"_ _Oh, but it_ will _be different this time, Mamma."_

 _"_ _How will it be, Crystalline?"_

 _"_ _Because I heard you telling Colin that King Edmund won a tournament!" Crystalline did a little jump. "Please, will you tell me, Mamma? Please, please,_ please? _"_

 _Mamma laughed. "You shouldn't have been eavesdropping Crystalline, though it did no harm. But try not to eavesdrop anymore."_

 _"_ _I won't Mamma." Crystalline excitedly promised._

 _"_ _Alright, then; come here and sit on my lap, and I will tell you."_

 _When Crystalline was seated on her mother's lap, the mother proceeded to tell her daughter about the tournament that had been held in the isle of Galma to celebrate the coronation of the four Kings and Queens of Narnia, which had happened only six months before. During the tournament, in which High King Peter and King Edmund had participated, King Edmund had unhorsed another knight in the joust. Edmund was very proud of his accomplishment, but only after had had made sure the no harm had been done to the Knight with whom he had sparred._

 _After the story, Crystalline's mother laughed when she saw her daughter's beautiful gray eyes, which were wide with awe._

 _"_ _I like King Edmund," the young girl finally concluded as she scooted off of her mother's lap._

 _"_ _I do hope you like the other royals, too, Crystalline. They are_ all _important to Narnia. All of them protect Narnia in order to keep it a free country…" she sighed. "And since those Calormenes have been raiding the mountains, we need the royals' protection more than ever." She stood looking out the kitchen window for a moment, clearly lost in her thoughts, before she shook herself and turned back to Crystalline._

 _"_ _Now, dearest; I need you to go and get your brother. I have an errand for both of you."_

 _"_ _Yes, Mamma!" Crystalline excitedly exclaimed, bolting out the door before her mother could say anything else._

 _"_ _Colin! Colin! Mamma has an errand for us!" Crystalline ran over to where her thirteen year old brother stood, chopping firewood. He smiled at his little sister, and put down his axe._

 _"_ _What errand is that squirt?" he asked as he brushed his sweaty bangs out of his face._

 _"_ _I don't know; Mamma wanted me to get you!" Crystalline cried for joy._

 _"_ _Alright, alright, squirt! I can hear you right properly without you yelling," Colin teased._

 _"_ _Come on, Colin! Let's go!" Crystalline said impatiently (in the same tone), grabbing Colin's hand and pulling him inside the cottage._

 _"_ _Yes, Mum?" Colin called to their mother, who stood in the kitchen doorway, smiling._

 _"_ _I need you to go to beavers dam, and give this basket to Mrs. Beaver." Their mother gestured to the basket of food she was holding._

 _Crystalline's eyes grew wide. "You mean, the Mrs. Beaver that helped the Kings and Queens?"_

 _Mother nodded. "Yes, Crystalline. Now run along, both of you. And be careful."_

 _"_ _We will, Mum," Colin reassured his mother as he took the small basket and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Come on squirt. Let's go."_

 _"_ _Bye-bye, Mamma!" Crystalline called over her shoulder as Colin led her out of the house._

 _"_ _Goodbye, Crystalline! Be good!" That was the last thing that Crystalline had ever heard her mother say._

"What happened next?" Edmund asked Crystalline, who had stopped talking. She looked sadly up at him.

"I don't remember the details, but I do remember that we didn't make it to the beaver's house that day. Calormene slave traders got to us first. My brother tried to protect me, and even pleaded for them to take him but leave me free. They didn't heed his pleas, and we were both captured. We were together from then on, up until we were sold onto a plantation. He tried to escape, but was captured again, and was sold to another master far away. I don't know what happened to him, or if he's still alive."

Edmund was silent for a moment, not able to speak. "That's awful," he finally said quietly. Crystalline nodded.

"So that's why I was your hope?"

"What do you mean?" 

"What you said about me when we had that little tiff when we were first on the plantation. I was your hope because you thought I would come and save you?"

Crystalline smiled. "Well, ever since that day, I had dreamed of seeing you ride up and save us. Over the years, I realized that it wouldn't happen… until I heard you came to Tashbaan. I knew you had been trying to discuss slavery with the Tisroc, and I thought that maybe you had come to do just that. That was when I allowed myself to believe this dream of mine."

Edmund grinned and chuckled. Crystalline raised an eyebrow, a large smile on her face.

"What?"

"Well, your dream came true," Edmund said, his eyes meeting hers, "even though I failed to beat down the enemy and carry you off into the sunset like the brave and gallant knight you thought I would be."

Crystalline giggled. "Well, we _are_ human. We're not like the magical creatures of Narnia. We don't have superhuman strength. We can't fight like they can."

"But we did fight all the same... We fought for freedom. That's something the creatures haven't done." Edmund pointed out.

"But _how_ did we fight? We didn't cross swords with the Calormenes. Well, _you_ did, but that was when you were trying to save me."

Edmund looked into Crystalline's eyes. Crystalline felt almost as if he were looking into her soul, "Sometimes it's the most silent testimonies that prove to be the most successful battles. Take us for example. We had to quietly put up with whatever the Tarkaan and the overseers dished out at us, we had to battle their cruelty every day. But Aslan let us win the battle all the same."

Crystalline nodded, understanding Edmund's logic. "Thank Aslan. For freedom, _and_ for friends." She smiled up at Edmund. Edmund smiled back. Her heart fluttered at his look. So did his at hers. Their smiles at that moment had caused a spark in both of them, and a feeling grew from that spark like a flame. That feeling was the most blissful, happy feeling they had ever felt in their lives. Some might call it love.

"Yes, thank Aslan." Edmund said, his eyes sparkling with radiant joy. Crystalline returned his look like a mirror.

"So," Crystalline said after a moment of happy silence, "We won a battle together. Do you think we should secretly call ourselves something? You know, something just between ourselves that no one would know about?"

Edmund grinned. "How about "siblings in arms?""

"But we're not related!"

"No one has to be related to call themselves siblings. And I _would_ love to be your brother."

Crystalline grinned. "Alright. Then we'll be a brother and sister in arms."

Edmund grinned back. Both stood for a moment, starring into each other's eyes and smiling. They didn't move for a long moment, before,

"King Edmund!"

Both started, and looked bewilderedly up at the sky, where the voice had called to them from. They saw Feather-Grip flying toward them.

"What is it, Sir Feather-Grip?" Edmund gathered enough of his scattered wits to reply.

"Your royal siblings have just arrived! They are just entering the castle now!"

"Thank you, Sir Hawk! I shall be there in but a moment!"

The hawk nodded and flew away, leaving Edmund and Crystalline alone once more. Edmund looked at Crystalline with still-sparkling eyes.

"Are you ready to meet the others, Crystal?" He grinned. "I mean, sister in arms?"

Crystalline giggled and nodded, having momentarily forgotten that Edmund was her king. "Of course, brother in arms. Let's go!"

Crystalline then followed Edmund back into the castle. Edmund smiled as they walked down the long corridors, arm in arm. Crystalline had changed completely from the sullen, joyless girl he had met when they had been bought by the Tarkaan, and he didn't mind the change in the least.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six:**

 **Reunion**

Edmund and Crystalline walked into the castle's courtyard the moment the three royals entered it, on the opposite side of the courtyard. Edmund recognized them at once. Crystalline saw that he wanted to run to them, but restrained himself because she was holding onto his arm. Crystalline smiled and let go of Edmund's arm. He gave her a confused look.

"Go on, Edmund. Run to them. I'll follow."

Edmund smiled and nodded before he turned in the direction of his siblings and bolted across the courtyard, yelling,

"Peter, Susan, Lucy! I'm here!"

Edmund's heart soared as his siblings ran to him. The four continued running until they had all collided at once, where they fell in a heap of limbs form the impact. It didn't faze them in the least, and they all scrambled to their feet almost as soon as they hit the pavement.

"Eddie!" Lucy cried, latching onto her brother's waist, which was thinner than she remembered.

"Dear Edmund!" Susan began to cry as she held her brother close. He was, overall, much thinner then when she had last done this.

"We're here, Ed! We won't let anything happen to you again!" Peter promised as he bear hugged his reunited family, tears filling his blue eyes so much that he couldn't see clearly.

The four stood in the middle of the courtyard, all shedding tears of joy and expressing their jubilation at the same time, so that no one nearby could decipher what they said to one another. When the overjoyed siblings finally pulled away from one another in order to get a better look at each other, they had wet patches on their clothes there tears had fallen, flushed cheeks, and smiling faces. This was when Edmund turned to Crystalline, who was standing a few feet away.

"Peter, Susan, Lucy, there is someone I would like you to meet," he said, running over to Crystalline, gently grabbing her by the arm, and leading her to his siblings. Crystalline was completely overwhelmed, but tried not to show it.

"And who is this?" Peter asked, not recognizing Crystalline now that she was clean and dressed like a noble.

"This is my friend, Crystalline," Edmund said, beaming.

"Oh, Ed!" Susan teased, ruffling Edmund's hair, "you're away from us for five minutes, and you already have a girlfriend! Let your older siblings marry first, will you?"

Crystalline would have normally blushed at being referred to as a girlfriend, if she knew what this meant. She hadn't heard terms from our world before. Edmund, however, did blush a little, and Peter laughed.

"Maybe it's the long hair, Susan," Peter teased, gesturing to Edmund's now untidy ponytail, "I guess ladies find him attractive that way."

Crystalline smiled as Edmund cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.

"Oh, do stop teasing him!" Lucy said with a smile, before turning to Crystalline. "Nice to meet you, Lady Crystalline."

Crystalline wanted to say that she wasn't a Lady, just a common girl, but decided against correcting the young Queen. This is why, from that moment on, Crystalline became known as "Lady Crystalline."

"It is very nice to meet you as well," Crystalline replied before addressing Peter and Susan, "All of you. I have heard so much about all of you, and… I'm at a loss for words."

Peter smiled. "We seem to have that effect on everyone." He bowed to Crystalline.

Susan's blue eyes sparkled warmly as she curtsied to Crystalline. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Crystalline. If I may be so bold to ask, have you known our brother long?"

Crystalline bobbed a curtsy to both Peter and Susan, "Ever since he went missing in Tashbaan, my queen. He didn't tell me who he truly was until he revealed to me his plans to escape."

Susan's look darkened ever so slightly, as if she were troubled. "Ah, yes." She looked to Edmund. "Are you alright?" she looked back at Crystalline again. "Both of you?"

Edmund nodded. "We're fine, Susan. Truly, we are."

Susan nodded with satisfaction, and her look returned to normal.

"King Peter! Queen Susan! Queen Lucy!" the five turned at King Lune's greeting.

"Greetings, King Lune!" Peter called. He, and Susan walked over to King Lune, and they began a lengthy conversation. Lucy, who had greeted King Lune with a quick word of hello and a polite thanks, ran to Edmund and hugged him again.

"Oh, Edmund! I am so happy you're safe! I prayed every day that you'd return to us, and now you have!" Her eyes filled with happy tears. "It's just like a happy dream that one wishes never to wake from!"

"S-h-h-h-h, Lu. It's alright. I'm safe, and I'm not going anywhere," Edmund said softly, rubbing his hand in circles on Lucy's back. Crystalline, who felt like a third wheel, curtsied to Edmund and was about to walk away and give the two some privacy when she heard Lucy's voice beckon to her,

"Lady Crystalline?"

Crystalline turned to face the sixteen year old queen. "Yes, Queen Lucy?"

Lucy's eyes, which still had tears in it, twinkled like stars. "Thank you."

"What is there to thank me for, your majesty?"

"For keeping Edmund company." Lucy grinned. Behind her, Edmund smirked and gave Crystalline a look that seemed to say, _you did more than keep me company_.

"You're quite welcome, Queen Lucy," Crystalline replied, curtsying to Lucy and returning her smile.

"Come along, Lucy, Edmund! Let's go to tea, shall we?" Susan's voice made its way across the courtyard.

"Coming!" Lucy called before turning to Crystalline again, "Would you like to come too, Lady Crystalline? I would really love to hear your adventures."

Crystalline smiled. Lucy seemed to have the same personality as she did. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your reunion…"

"We wouldn't mind in the least, Lady Crystalline," Edmund said, locking eyes with Crystalline and giving her a look that made her heart leap.

"Then I would love to join you, your majesties!" Crystalline replied, giving Edmund a similar look. She didn't know it, but his heart leapt in the same way as hers had.

"Come, then," Edmund said happily, holding both his arms out to the two ladies in front of him, "let's go to tea, shall we?"

The two laughed, and all three set off after Susan and Peter. When the eldest Pevensies turned to see how far the three were behind them, they quietly laughed. For Edmund was gaily marching behind them, a girl on each arm.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven:

Narnia

A week passed by happily for all involved in the reunion of the four siblings. The castle of Anvard was filled with laughs and happiness, and even an occasional friendly quarrel. Lucy and Crystalline had become fast friends, and spent most of their time together. Crystalline had told Lucy her story, and Lucy said that she would help Crystalline look for her mother and brother when they got settled in Narnia. Crystalline was also friends with Susan, though she tried to stay away from her when she was sewing, for if she stayed, she would be trapped into working on embroidery the whole afternoon. Crystalline found after one such afternoon that she had no patience for embroidery.

Crystalline was even friends with Peter, though it was always rather awkward for her to be around him. The only one of the two kings who she felt comfortable when she was around was Edmund.

After a week at Anvard, the four siblings and Crystalline left for Narnia on the royals' ship, the Splendor Hayline. Long afterward, Crystalline would still giggle when she remembered her first reaction to the ship.

"It's so large!" Crystalline exclaimed.

"Not in ship terms," Edmund said as he led Crystalline up the gangplank.

"What size is the Splendor Hayline in ship terms, King Edmund?" Crystalline asked.

"Small," Edmund replied with a smile.

By this time, they had set foot on the wooden deck of the ship. Crystalline looked nervous.

"What's wrong, Lady Crystalline?" Edmund asked.

"I haven't been on a ship before," Crystalline whispered. "Is it hard to walk on a ship?"

"Not really, once you get your sea legs," Edmund replied as he and the other three royals waved to the people, King Lune included, assembled on the dock.

"How long does it take for one to get their sea legs?" Crystalline whispered again.

"I don't know. It depends on the person. It took me a month to get my sea legs," Edmund chuckled as he seemed to remember something, "I stumbled and reeled about that whole month."

Crystalline giggled. Edmund smiled knowingly at her. "Don't laugh. You'll be doing it soon."

Crystalline awoke in her cabin the next morning, eager to arise. She jumped out of bed and quickly put on a dress (unlike the Archenlanders, Narnian women didn't wear corsets, so she didn't have to worry about this). After quickly brushing her hair and washing her face, she walked to the door of her cabin and opened it. As soon as she stepped outside, she squinted as the morning sun met her eyes. With some difficulty, she made it across the deck to the railing on the starboard (right) side of the ship. Leaning against the railings, she looked out across the sea.

"Lady Crystalline!" Crystalline recognized the voice at once.

"Yes, Feather-Grip?"

"Look to your left! Look!"

Crystalline obeyed, and gasped. For there, gleaming in the midmorning sunlight, stood a castle perched on top of a mountain, overlooking the sea.

"What castle is that?" She breathed. "It's beautiful!"

"That, Lady, is Cair Paravel," A different voice replied. Crystalline turned to see Edmund standing behind her, little to her left.

"Good morning, King Edmund," Crystalline greeted Edmund with a low curtsy.

"Good morning, Lady Crystalline," Edmund replied, striding over to the railing to stand beside her, leaning on the ship's railings in the same manner that Crystalline was.

"Beautiful day for returning to one's own country, isn't it?" he asked, smiling at the massive castle in the distance.

"Very, King Edmund." Crystalline replied.

"Please," Edmund said, looking into Crystalline's eyes as their gazes met, almost hopefully, "just call me Edmund. After all, we're friends, aren't we?"

Crystalline smiled, and her own eyes began to sparkle. "Why, yes we are, Edmund."

Edmund grinned. Crystalline couldn't understand why, but Edmund's eyes seemed to sparkle even brighter after her response. It was as if she had said something that he had wanted to hear for a long time.

"But only on one condition," Crystalline suddenly added. Edmund raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what is that?"

"If I am going to call you Edmund, would you please call me Crystalline? I don't like being called "Lady Crystalline." It makes me sound like a slave owner."

Edmund smiled understandingly and replied, "Of course, Crystalline."

Crystalline smiled and looked back to the castle again. The two stood in silence until Edmund said suddenly,

"Listen."

Crystalline listened. She smiled as she heard bittersweet music reach her ears, faint at first. Soon, it became louder and easier to hear.

"Who's making that beautiful music?" she whispered.

"The mer-people—" Edmund began, but he was interrupted by the sound of trumpets playing far off, on the shore. "Looks like they already know we're coming."

Crystalline smiled. "I bet they've been waiting for a long time to see you again."

Edmund smiled back. "They sure have, haven't they?"

For a while, they stood together, watching the green-blue waves lap at the sides of the ship and listening to the bittersweet songs of the mer-people as they welcomed all four royals home at last. Suddenly, she felt a hand on hers. She looked down at it. It was a bit larger than her own hand, and its pale skin was rough and calloused from work. She looked up at the hand's owner. Edmund smiled and looked her in the eye.

"Well," he broke the contented silence as the ship's crew made ready to pull into the harbor, "are you ready to be free of me at last, Crystal?"

Crystalline cast Edmund a confused look. "Why should I wish to be free of you?"

Edmund met her glance, his almost forlorn look mirroring her own. "I thought that you would want to start your own life somewhere in Narnia. You know, be free to do what you like."

Crystalline looked from Edmund back at the green water. She had waited so long for freedom, and now she felt like she was tied down again. This time, it was not by physical fetters, but by her feelings. And truly, being tied down by her feelings made Crystalline…happy. At that moment, none of these strange new feelings that Crystalline felt swirling inside of her made any sense at all.

"You know, Edmund," Crystalline said after spending a few moments mustering up her courage, "I could stay here at Cair Paravel, that is, if you would let me…"

"But what about your family? I was sure that you'd want to move in with them." Edmund asked. Crystalline only smiled at him.

"I haven't found them yet. It's still a dream as of now," Crystalline replied.

"You're just being nice to me," Edmund returned, playfully smirking. "You'll find them soon enough, and meanwhile your dreams will be with them." He turned to gaze at the water.

"No, not really," Crystalline continued to smile.

"How do you mean?" Edmund looked back at her, meeting her gaze.

"Well, until my family comes back into my life, my dream is different. I now dream of living in a large castle on the Eastern Ocean. It's something I've dreamed of since we left Anvard."

"Well, milady," Edmund replied, a grin forming on his face, "that's one dream I can make true with the snap of my fingers. And it's the least I can do, since I am your hope."

Crystalline giggled. "You mean to tell me that you still remember our little spat?"

Edmund shrugged, "some parts of it, at least."

"Well, I have something to tell you, Edmund."

"And what is that?"

"I think you are a just king. I don't mean anything of what I said to you that night. I judged you wrongly, when I hardly knew anything about you. I'm sorry."

Edmund stared at her for a moment, his shocked look slowly transforming into a smile. The look Crystalline gave him told him that what she had just said was sincere. At that moment, the wound that Crystalline had made in his heart, no matter how minute it was now, was perfectly healed. "Thank you," Edmund replied, "your apology is most greatly accepted."

"You're welcome." Crystalline smiled.

When the two looked over the ship's railings again, they saw the wooden dock and all the cheering creatures that stood on it, excited and happy smiles on their faces. Edmund and Crystalline returned the creature's smiles with their own overjoyed ones. They were home. Aslan had heard them. Granted, their journey had been a tough one, painful at times, but it had all been worth it. And now they stood happily together, a brother and sister in arms, warmed by the early morning sunshine and the joy that filled both their hearts.

THE END


End file.
